Michael urged to Kling on to dream

Despite edging him for a berth in Australia’s further revamped Test team, Shaun Marsh has offered solace to Michael Klinger that opportunity still exists for him to fulfil his dissipating international cricket aspirations.

Klinger has been a dominant batting figure in Australia domestic and England county competitions over the past couple of seasons and was widely touted to earn a call-up to replace the injured Usman Khawaja in Australia’s team for the final Test against New Zealand, beginning on Friday.

But despite being the third-highest runs scorer in the Sheffield Shield competition this summer with 365 runs at an average above 95, the 35-year-old was overlooked in favour of the previously capped left-hander Marsh (13th on the season’s list with 207 runs at 34.50).

Marsh, 32, was preferred because he "was unlucky to miss out on the squad for the first two Tests (against NZ) and since then has scored consistently in Sheffield Shield" according to selection chair Rod Marsh.

However, Klinger's Western Australia teammate believes the former Australia under-19 skipper still retains a hope of winning selection for his country and has cited the pair's WA captain Adam Voges as an example of why hope springs eternal.

Voges was the oldest specialist batsman to make his Test debut for Australia since Nathaniel 'Nat' Thompson became the first man dismissed in Test cricket in March, 1877 when Voges lined up in a Baggy Green against the West Indies in Dominica last June.

Even though he was 35 years and 242 days at the time, Voges went on to complete a memorable debut century and thus provided hope for all mature batsmen in the Shield competition that consistent performances will be rewarded, regardless of age.

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Voges (left) and Klinger have piled on the runs for WA recently // Getty

The scope of Klinger’s wait for an Australia berth is exemplified by the fact he was preferred to Michael Clarke as captain of his country’s under-19 team.

Yet Clarke’s highly productive, 13-year international career has been and gone while Klinger has bided his time, becoming the 35th player in the Shield’s 120-year history to reach 7,000 runs and the most prolific of any batsman currently playing in the competition.

Marsh, who is unsure of where he will slot into the Australia batting line-up for the historic day-night Test against NZ, said today he believed it was too early for Klinger to abandon hope of winning a Test berth.

"He (Klinger) has been outstanding, especially for us over the last 12 months," Marsh said of his Alcohol. Think Again Warriors top-order teammate who has scored 1411 runs at 64.14 since shifting from Adelaide at the start of last summer, second only to Voges’ Shield return of 1437 at 95.8 in that time.

"I couldn’t speak more highly of Maxy, he’s a fantastic guy off the field and he’s an exceptional cricketer.

"I’m sure if he keeps churning the runs out then I hope that one day he does get an opportunity.

"Adam Voges is a great example to all the guys who are a little bit older.

"To come in and see how Adam has played, especially over the last little period he’s done a fantastic job for Australia.

"So there’s certainly opportunities for guys that are of similar age to Adam if they keep scoring runs, I guess."

In addition to the two Test centuries Marsh has scored – on debut in Sri Lanka in 2011 and on a difficult pitch against a full strength South Africa attack Centurion last year – he brings with him the 111 he scored against Queensland under lights, and with the pink ball, last summer.

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The day-night Test in Adelaide will be Marsh's 16th Test match // Getty

Klinger also has enjoyed success in the first-class day-night arena, having posted an unbeaten 202 against Tasmania in Hobart last month, but Marsh always maintained belief that he would be given an opportunity to add to the 15 Tests he’s played over more than four years.

Asked in Adelaide today if he felt the fifth recall of his stop-start career represented his last chance, Marsh was reluctant to shift his focus from the fresh start in which he is expected to bat at number five behind Voges and also bolster Australia’s butter-fingered slips catching.

Quick Single: Marsh not thinking of last Test chance

"I try not to think about it like that,” Marsh said in response to suggestions he was playing for his Test career.

"It’s another chance for me to come here and prove to myself that I can play at this level.

"To get out there and get some runs.

"I’ve felt really good over the last couple of weeks, I obviously missed out in the first Shield game (scoring 15 and 1 in the day-night match against Tasmania) but my last two Shield games I’ve felt a lot better and felt that I was getting back to my best.

"So I go into this game confident I can do well."

Both teams begin their preparation for the day-night Test with training at the Adelaide Oval tomorrow.

While the clean-up from Saturday night’s AC/DC concert at the Oval has seen significant sections of the turf replaced, temporary floodlights have been installed alongside the practice nets to allow both teams some last-minute fine tuning with the pink ball in the twilight hours.