Illness scare for Australia's Marsh ahead of India test

SYDNEY: Australian top order batsman Shaun Marsh was unable to fulfill a media engagement ahead of the third test against India in Perth because of illness on Monday.

Team officials said the 28-year-old should be fit to train with the rest of the team on Tuesday ahead of Friday's start to the test at the WACA.

Marsh won a race to be fit for the first test but his form in the four-match series has been far from convincing, despite Australia making a strong start with emphatic wins in Melbourne and Sydney.

Playing at number three in the batting order, Marsh has been out for a duck twice and made three in the second innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Mike Hussey, who bucked his own run of poor form with a superb 150 not out in Sydney, replaced Marsh in Monday's news conference and backed his fellow Western Australian to find his touch at his home ground.

"The WACA crowd always give the local guys a huge welcome and a louder roar than any other player, so he's got plenty of motivation to play exceptionally well in this test," Hussey told reporters.

"It's always tough when you have been out of the game for over a month to be able to come straight back into test match cricket and perform straight away.

"It does take a bit of time. But he has been working very hard and he's been hitting the ball very well in the nets.

"So it's just a case of him being able to get through that first half an hour of his innings and then if he gets a start, I'm sure he'll want to turn it into a big hundred."

Marsh, the son of former Australia opener Geoff Marsh, made his test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year and has been included in the 12-man squad for the third test against India.

Copyright Reuters, 2012