Batting for a Baggy: who staked a claim

The make-up of the Test batting order has become clearer – but only by a little bit – after the fourth round of JLT Sheffield Shield, the contenders' final opportunity to impress before Australia's Test series-opener against India.

Selectors are expected to convene in the coming days to pick the squad for the first two Domain Tests against India, meaning the latest Sheffield cricket was the final chance for hopefuls to advance their cases.

As is becoming an annual tradition, batting spots were declared up for grabs and incumbents left to sweat, with the names floating up ranging from the familiar to the left-field. More concerning for selectors and the States' coaching staff, it was largely an underwhelming batting pool of performances.

After a miserable two-Test campaign against Pakistan, under-pressure batter Shaun Marsh looked to have saved his spot with a sublime unbeaten century for Western Australia in Adelaide to spearhead a comeback five-wicket win over South Australia.

Marsh, and his younger brother Mitchell, who followed up his 151 against Queensland earlier this month with 1 and 44 against the Redbacks, plus recovering batsman Usman Khawaja (fitness pending) would all appear shoo-ins to retain their spots, while limited-overs captain Aaron Finch also seems a likely starter despite his recent struggles against the white ball.

Fellow Test incumbent Travis Head was also short of runs during the recent ODI series against South Africa but his first-innings 87 for SA on his return to domestic ranks would have been heartening for selectors. It was the first time he'd passed 50 in six knocks since his match-saving 72 in the drawn Dubai Test against Pakistan.

Marnus Labuschagne (108 runs at 18) and Matthew Renshaw (140 runs at 23) are the other batsmen from the Pakistan Test squad. Labuschagne did however manage a first-innings 52 against NSW's formidable bowling attack.

But their struggles, while not necessarily putting lines through their names, mean others are sure to be discussed at the selection table.

Leading all-comers at the top of the Shield batting charts with 444 runs at 55 is four-Test batsman Alex Doolan, who has started the 2018-19 summer in superb touch following a wildly-inconsistent four-year stretch since he last played for Australia. But he's found some early season rhythm this year, and the opener followed his 115 against Queensland in the first round with four more half-centuries including knocks of 90 and 94 from eight innings in total.

His teammate and former Test keeper Matthew Wade has been equally dependable in the opening few rounds, passing fifty for the fifth time in eight knocks on Monday with a gritty 137 to save Tasmania who looked destined for certain defeat against Victoria. While Wade believes his days as an international keeper are likely over, he could be considered as a specialist batsman.

The two other Shield batting standouts that casual fans will be less acquainted with are Victoria's Marcus Harris, who crashed an unbeaten 250 earlier this month and is averaging 87 from six innings this summer, and South Australian Tom Cooper, a former Dutch international who is the only batter to record multiple first-class hundreds this summer.

Peter Handscomb (227 runs at 38) and Moises Henriques (265 runs at 38) are the only others who could be classed as contenders who have tonned up this summer, while Joe Burns has struck two half-centuries in eight knocks for the Bulls.

The other piece of the puzzle to consider is Glenn Maxwell, who, like Finch, will not have played any Shield cricket by the time the Test squad is named due to his inclusion in Australia's recent ODI and T20 squads. Marcus Stoinis is in a similar boat, though he featured in WA's first two Shield matches.

While the batting landscape may resemble a Dali painting, Tim Paine has tuned up nicely with the gloves in Tasmania’s last two matches while Australia's star bowling quartet came through their Shield blowout in Canberra with flying colours.

Nathan Lyon did best with nine wickets for the match, as pace aces Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc also impressed in sealing a 163-run over the Bulls. 

All four are locks to face India but selectors' traditional preference to pick at least one back-up quick in home Test squads would indicate one more bowling spot is up for grabs.

The race for that spot would appear wide-open. The top five leading Shield wicket takers (Scott Boland, Chris Tremain, Joe Mennie, Jackson Bird and Trent Copeland) have all played international cricket, while Peter Siddle will also be around the mark after giving a solid account of himself in his return to international cricket in the Middle East.

Fellow UAE Test squad members Michael Neser (three wickets at 82) and Brendan Doggett (six wickets at 39) have underwhelmed with the ball. Doggett picked up a left quad strain in the last match against NSW anyway, while Neser showed his potential as a viable lower-order batsman with an impressive 62 against NSW.

Top 10 Shield run scorers

1 Alex Doolan (TAS) 444 runs; 2 Marcus Harris (VIC) 437; 3 Matthew Wade (TAS) 412; 4 Tom Cooper (SA) 392; 5 Shaun Marsh (WA) 362; 6 Daniel Hughes (NSW) 321; 7 Nick Larkin (NSW) 317; 8 Jake Lehmann (SA) 306; 9 Will Bosisto (WA) 274; 10 Moises Henriques (NSW) 265

Top 5 Shield wicket takers

1 Scott Bolland (VIC) 26 wickets; 2 Chris Tremain (VIC) 24; 3 Joe Mennie (SA) 21; 4 Jackson Bird (TAS) 17; 5 Trent Copeland (NSW) 16