Fixing No.6: Who will replace Marsh?

Australia's merry-go-round in the No.6 position is set to continue in the third Test in Ranchi, with Mitchell Marsh sent home with a shoulder injury and replaced in the squad by Victoria allrounder Marcus Stoinis.

In less than two-and-a-half years since Marsh debuted in the Test side, Australia have used a staggering 10 players at No.6 (excluding nightwatchman Nathan Lyon), with Marsh's 20 Tests in the position comfortably the most.

In that time, the Western Australian has been unable to make the spot his own, averaging 19.70 with one fifty from 25 innings.

Now the reins look set to be thrown to another option, with Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar and Marcus Stoinis all hopeful of a call-up in Ranchi.

We've assessed their credentials below.

Usman Khawaja (Qld)

Tests: 23 – 1726 runs at 47.94, with five hundreds

Comfortably the most accomplished Test player in this quartet of contenders, Khawaja looms as the obvious option if coach Darren Lehmann and selector on duty Mark Waugh want to bolster their batting, which could well be the case after they were rolled in Bengaluru for 112 on day four. The problem there is that Khawaja averages 19 from seven trips to the crease in Asia, and was dropped for the first Test of this series despite a stellar summer on the home pitches he favours. He's currently on a hot streak in Test cricket, having racked up at least fifty in his past six Tests, but the prospect of the world's top two bowlers in Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja in their home conditions is an altogether different challenge for the class left-hander.

Glenn Maxwell (Vic)

Tests: 3 – 80 runs at 13.33, seven wickets at 38.71

Maxwell's three opportunities in Test cricket have all come in Asia, and worse still for the enigmatic allrounder, when Australia has been either one-nil or two-nil down in the series. Additionally, he's been asked to bat in five different positions in the order – from opener to No.8 – in six Test innings. The jury remains out as to whether the dashing right-hander possesses the discipline required to prosper on an Indian Test pitch, with Ashwin and Jadeja able to bowl limitless overs and close-in fielders hovering around the bat. Strangely, considering his healthy record with the ball, Maxwell hasn't been asked to bowl in recent ODI fixtures, which may indicate a lack of faith in his off-spin from the captain and coach. Owing to his exploits in the Indian Premier League, Maxwell has something of a cult following in India, and if he gets a chance in Ranchi, only one thing is certain – they're sure to be entertained.

Ashton Agar (WA)

Tests: 2 – 130 runs at 32.50, two wickets at 124

Agar might come into calculations if the wickets looks like a raging turner – a distinct possibility anywhere in India. If selected, Agar could slot in at No.7 behind Matthew Wade, though the left-hander incredible 98 on debut from No.11 shows just how equipped he is with the bat. Two first-class hundreds and eight fifties have come from his free-swinging bat since then, however his average of 26.74 is well below-par for a player of his ability. Realistically, Agar appears the least likely of this four to figure in the third Test, particularly if Pat Cummins replaces Mitchell Starc; that change could mean Lehmann and Waugh opt for another option to assist with the seam-bowling workload, throwing Marcus Stoinis to the front of the list.

Marcus Stoinis (Vic)

First-class matches: 43 – 2386 runs at 35.08, 33 wickets at 48.27

The one player among this foursome who is yet to wear Baggy Green, it's ironic that Stoinis appears as likely as anyone to replace Marsh. Lehmann has made no secret of his fondness for a seam-bowling allrounder regardless of the conditions, and while his first-class bowling figures hardly inspire confidence, he is the only like-for-like replacement for Marsh in the group. Stoinis also has the added benefit of having impressed earlier this year at international level, though it was with a white ball in the vastly different conditions of Auckland. In that match, he blasted a spectacular 146no and took three wickets to make his mark at the top level. Whether it was a breakthrough performance remains to be seen.

Test Squads

India (for third and fourth Tests): Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade

Australia's schedule in India

Feb 23-27, First Test, Pune - Australia won by 333 runs.

Mar 4-8, Second Test, Bengaluru - India won by 75 runs.

Mar 16-20, Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29, Fourth Test, Dharamsala