Stoinis prepared for Ashes blowtorch

Ask any player who's been through an Ashes series what the biggest challenge was, and they'll tell you one thing: pressure. All the expectation, the weight of carrying a nation's hopes, every move put under the microscope with fans and media like never before ...

Some players wilt in the heat of an Ashes cauldron, some will flourish.

Marcus Stoinis, with never a shiny lock of hair out of place, thrives on pressure.

An immaculately coifed gym junkie who has pushed more tin than Dubai air traffic control, the broad shouldered big-hitter who once crashed six sixes in an over for the National Performance Squad will this week suit up in the JLT Sheffield Shield for Western Australia.

The 28-year-old is back home in Perth after coming of age in Melbourne, and now soaking up the pressure knowing first-class runs could turn early glimpses of a temperament for international cricket into a Magellan Ashes berth.

Stoinis' pathway to the conversation about selection for the Test team has not been straightforward.

A debut came with Western Australia in 2009, but inconsistency saw him lose his state contract, and he moved to Melbourne for a second chance with Victoria in 2011.

He was soon flourishing in all three formats, a fan favourite with the Melbourne Stars, and enjoying a breakout Shield season in 2014-15 that yielded 785 runs at 49.06.

That led to his first foray into international cricket on the 2015 limited-overs tour of the UK, and a heavy reality check.

His T20I debut saw him coming in needing 10 an over and as he struggled to get the ball away, he was involved in crucial run-out that cost Australia a shot at victory.

Handed one-day cap No.209 shortly after, Stoinis found himself marching to the middle of Headingley with a well-lubricated Leeds crowd baying for Australian blood, two wickets having fallen in three balls. From his fifth ball, Stoinis dropped to one knee, and promptly reverse swept to gully.

Pressure.

It was not until early in 2017 that Stoinis was recalled to the Australia squad, initially as an injury replacement for Mitch Marsh. The conflux of international cricket that saw Test stars decamp to India opened the door for his return to the ODI playing XI at Eden Park.

What happened next is as remarkable as it was memorable.

An injury enforced change of captain just before the coin toss, a horror batting collapse that saw the Aussies slump to 6-67, all washed away in two glorious hours as he blasted an unbeaten 146, setting a new trans-Tasman record for ODI sixes with 11.

It took Australia from salvaging pride to the cusp of victory, one more Eden Park maximum away from tying the game when he lost his last partner.

Since then his ODI scores make impressive reading: 42, 3, 62no, 27no, 15no, 46. He currently averages 86.25 in one-day international cricket, and carries a supreme confidence in his own ability to get the job done.

"I think just from the one-dayers, being under pressure in a few situations and to be honest just really enjoying it," Stoinis tells cricket.com.au of the root of his self-confidence.

"So as an outsider looking in at Ashes cricket I think there is a lot of pressure, there is a lot of stuff off the field and on the field, that can add up.

"So you never know how you're going to react but I'm looking forward to it.

"I think in tough situations you're usually feeling the pressure because there's a good chance of something good happening, or something bad happening.

"So the way I see it is when that pressure is there, it means you're pretty close to doing something really good."

He knows – like every other Ashes hopeful that has been put on notice – his Ashes dream will be made or broken on runs in the first three rounds of JLT Sheffield Shield, starting Thursday against Tasmania at the WACA.

His new state teammate, Hilton Cartwright, played in Australia's last Test and will be hunting that Baggy Green.

"I think I have a chance, there's a few people in with a chance, and obviously important are the first three Shield games," Stonis says.

"But, yeah, I'm ready to go, I hope it's me.

"I'll be doing what I can in the first three Shield games and then hopefully have a good crack.

"I feel confident in terms of form and that sort of thing. I don't think about form too much but I'm just enjoying it and I'm feeling confident and enjoying the pressure of international cricket, so it's good fun."

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21