Six-hitting Marsh emerges from broken Test dream

When Mitchell Marsh was cleared to resume training again after a self-inflicted injury had ruined his Test hopes for the summer, the allrounder went into the nets and did what he hadn't done for a very long time.

"I just practiced hitting sixes," he recalls with a smile.

Having produced a career-best bowling performance in the fifth Ashes Test last September, Marsh's chances of retaining his Test spot ended a month later in a moment of madness in the WACA changerooms when he punched a wall in frustration after a dismissal, breaking his right hand and ruling himself out for more than two months.

So when national selectors publicly floated the prospect of drafting an allrounder into their side for the latter half of the Test summer, Marsh's name wasn't seriously considered for reasons that were entirely his own doing.

And while that knowledge hurt, the 28-year-old instead used the extended break to fine-tune his batting in white-ball cricket, a skill he concedes had been a low priority in recent years as he focused solely on nailing down a cherished Test spot.

"Injuries in sport happen, but obviously I did this one to myself, so it was a little bit harder to take," Marsh told cricket.com.au in Johannesburg ahead of the start of Australia's Qantas Tour of South Africa.

"But the positive was it gave me a real chance to focus on T20 cricket … it was nice to get back and play white-ball cricket for an extended period.

"In the last four years, my sole focus has been to wear my Baggy Green as much as I can. T20 cricket and one-day cricket got put on the backburner a bit for me when it came to my training.

"So as soon as my hand was alright to hit balls, I worked with (long-time batting coach) Scott Meuleman just to try and find my swing again and clear the fence. It was actually a great way to train, it was a lot of fun and refreshing.

"I went into the Big Bash with a lot of confidence that I could clear the fence when I needed to."

And clear the fence he did, 20 times in 14 games for Perth Scorchers – the fifth-most in the tournament – in a run of form that launched him back into both of Australia's white-ball squads for the first time in more than two years.

But it wasn't so much the runs Marsh scored in the BBL that saw him picked ahead of Marcus Stoinis as Australia's seam-bowling allrounder for this tour, it was when and how he scored them.

Batting predominantly at No.4 and No.5 for the Scorchers, the right-hander came to the crease after the eighth over in six out of his 14 innings and batted in the final five overs on seven occasions.

Given Australia's top order is already stacked with talent, selectors are looking for a batting finisher to round out their top six for this year's World Cup, a role Marsh could secure if he continues his good recent form against the Proteas in the coming weeks.

"It's been my role throughout my whole career, making sure I'm in at the end," he says.

"I learnt a lot of good lessons during the Big Bash about being there at the end and cashing in. I'm sure that will be my role for Australia and hopefully I can go out there and execute.

"I'm certainly confident I can do it. The game situation obviously dictates if you can give yourself a couple of balls to get in. It's all mental; if the team requires me to get out there and hit a six off my first ball, I'll definitely try."

It's apt that the re-launch of Marsh's white-ball career will come this weekend at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, the same venue where he made his international debut eight-and-a-half years ago.

On that occasion, the teenaged Marsh batted at No.7 and launched four sixes (and no fours) in an innings of 36 from just 21 balls, exactly the kind of performance he'll be tasked with producing in this three-match T20 series.

And while a recall for Australia's next Test assignment in Bangladesh looms later this year, Marsh insists his sole focus for now is capitalising on his return to the national side, and just hitting sixes again.

"Obviously any Test tour you want to be on," he says.

"But I'm in South Africa now and just really looking forward to getting back into playing white-ball cricket for Australia.

"We'll see what happens with Bangladesh."

Australia's Qantas Tour of South Africa 2020

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitch Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (vc), Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

First T20: February 21 at Johannesburg. 3am AEDT (Feb 22), Fox Cricket & Kayo

Second T20: February 23 at Port Elizabeth 11.30pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo

Third T20: February 26 at Cape Town. 3am AEDT (Feb 27), Fox Cricket & Kayo

First ODI: February 29 at Paarl (D/N). 10pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo

Second ODI: March 4 at Bloemfontein (D/N). 10pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo

Third ODI: March 7 at Potchefstroom. 7pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo