Mitchell Marsh assures pace relief in Adelaide

One of two vice-captains of the Australian Test squad, Mitchell Marsh on Tuesday has asked for the "graveyard shift" with the ball as the home team aims to nurse their precious pace assets.

Banking on his ability with the ball, the 27-year-old told Cricket Australia: "My goal this summer is to start really chipping in with the ball and get some more wickets for the team. I love coming on in the graveyard shift after 70 or 80 overs when the ball's doing nothing and trying to sneak a wicket. I really want to take my bowling to the next level in this team."

However, in Australia, the all-rounder is anything but a certainty in the playing XI. In his most recent assignment in the longest-format against Pakistan, Marsh scored 30 runs in four innings and scalped only two wickets in a total of 30-overs in two Tests.

"After the UAE, there's no doubt that there were a few question marks about me," Marsh acknowledged. "But I'm really pumped if I'm selected to get out there in front of Australian crowds again. It's a great time of year and I'm feeling good," he added.

Marsh's 151-runs for Western Australia against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield was a strong effort, but critics have pointed to the one run and 44 runs against South Australia and six runs and 30 runs against New South Wales.

"I'm doing my best to make the No.6 position my own in this team and that's all I can do," Marsh concluded.

Australia will start their long tour of the four-Test match series against India, beginning on December 6 in Adelaide.