5 Australians on their maiden India tour

# 5 Josh Hazlewood and the Marsh brothers

While the Indian team have no acquaintance with the first four, there are three others more familiar to India, who will also be on their first Test tour of the country. Another thing that these three have in common is that their only Asian sojourn was the disastrous tour of Sri Lanka.

Hazlewood has become one of Australia’s mainstays over the last two years, with his bowling figures after 26 Tests looking very similar to that of Glenn Mcgrath at a similar stage. Both Hazlewood and Starc were rested for the warm-up match against India A, so that they are in prime shape to pressure away at the Indian batsmen – Starc following the more direct approach and his partner faithfully tugging away at a line just outside off stump.

Shaun Marsh is also a definite inclusion in the playing XI, forming alongside Smith and Handscomb the middle order. The nature of his stop-start Test career has been a frustration for him and his team, but with his recent run of form, has ensured that he has risen above Khawaja as well in the pecking order.

The persistence of the Australian selectors with Mitchell Marsh has meant that despite having started his career much later, he has played an identical number of Tests as his elder brother – 19. Marsh is likely to be preferred over Maxwell as the side’s batting all-rounder, given his penchant for batting against spin.

Performance in warm-up match –

Hazlewood – Did not play

S Marsh – 104*

M Marsh – 75