Maxwell goes in to bat for Marsh

As pressure mounts on Mitchell Marsh to produce a big score with the bat, one of his rivals for the Test allrounder position has backed him to shine in the not-too-distant future.

While Australia's top-order batsmen have filled their boots this summer against some flat bowling attacks on some even flatter pitches, Marsh has been left to watch the carnage unfold from the sidelines and miss several golden opportunities to cement his position in the top six.

But Victoria's Glenn Maxwell, who has stated his desire to be picked as a genuine allrounder in the Test team and bat in the top six, feels for Marsh and the tricky circumstances he's had to confront.

On four of the six occasions this summer Marsh has walked out to the middle, he's done so with his side in a commanding position and motoring towards a declaration.

Which has put the Western Australian in a difficult position; either get out cheaply in search for quick runs, like he did in Brisbane (2) and Perth (34) against New Zealand, or make a largely insignificant contribution to the scorebook, as seen in Hobart (1no) against the Windies.

The fourth such occasion came at the MCG on Monday, Marsh finishing day three of the Boxing Day Test unbeaten on 18 from 31 balls as he joined Australia's chase for quick second-innings runs.

Whether the allrounder gets a chance to add to that tally on Tuesday, and relieve some of the pressure on his young shoulders, remains to be seen.

"From the outside looking in, he's doing the team thing by trying to get as many as runs as he can quickly to get themselves into a declaration position," Maxwell told cricket.com.au.

"I do sympathise with him and I don't think his numbers reflect the true way he's actually played.

"He's probably been a bit unlucky with the Ashes tour where he got some interesting wickets to bat on and some poor times to bat.

"And this summer it seems he's only batting for declarations and to try to push the team into a better position.

"Hopefully he can get a decent run at the position and really make it his own.

"He's bowling beautifully and his true class is going to shine through with the bat soon."

However, history suggests patience could be the key for Marsh to blossom.

And while the top order is firing on all cylinders, and the sturdy support of wicketkeeper Peter Nevill arrives after him at the crease, Australia have the luxury to give the 24-year-old time to develop in the Test outfit.

It took Steve Waugh 27 Tests to score his maiden century in the Baggy Green, a faultless 177no against England at Leeds in 1989.

Waugh backed it up with an unbeaten 152 in the following match at Lord's, and scored 29 more hundreds in a glittering career that lasted two decades and 168 Tests.

In modern times, Australia's premier allrounder Shane Watson took 15 Tests to reach three-figures, and it may have taken even longer had he not been promoted to open the batting in the 2009 Ashes series, a position he held full-time for three years.

Watson went on to make 3,731 runs, four centuries and win the Allan Border Medal as Australia's finest cricketer in a 12-month period on two occasions.

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