Shaun Marsh's fifth Test century on Sunday not only put his side in a dominant position in Adelaide, it underlined his status as one of the most versatile Test batsmen Australia has ever produced.

In reaching three figures batting at No.6, Marsh joined former Test skipper Lindsay Hassett as the only Australians to have scored a Test century from every position in the top six - opener, No.3, No.4, No.5, and No.6.

It's a rare feat, but one that's not unheard of internationally; the likes of Indian greats Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman completed the full set in their careers, as did West Indian legends Viv Richards and Garry Sobers, with Sobers scoring a ton at No.7 as well.

Marsh silences critics with super 126no

But while Greg Chappell and Don Bradman, for example, scored centuries in every position from No.3 to No.7, and early 20th century allrounder Warwick Armstrong did so as an opener, No.4, No.5, No.6 and No.7, Marsh and Hassett are the only Australians to post three figures as an opener and from the first four middle order spots.

Hassett, who played 43 Tests in a career interrupted by the Second World War, scored 10 hundreds; four at first drop, three at No.4, one as an opener and one each at No.5 and No.6.

QUICK SINGLE Marsh silences critics with super century

Marsh, who has never batted in the same position for more than six Test innings in a row, has now matched Hassett's feat in a little more than half the number of Tests.

The 34-year-old's ability to move up and down the order was pinpointed by selector Trevor Hohns as a factor in his shock selection for this Magellan Ashes Series. "He is a versatile player who can slot in anywhere in the batting order and will add valuable experience to the batting line-up," Hohns said when the squad was announced last month.

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Having opened for Western Australia in the JLT Sheffield Shield at the start of the summer, it was decided that Marsh would be shoe-horned into the vacant No.6 spot for the first time in his Test career.

And he's responded with scores of 51 and 126no in the first two Tests.

His hundred in Adelaide comes more than six years after he brought up three figures on his Test debut in Sri Lanka, when he batted in the No.3 position that had been vacated by Ricky Ponting, who was on personal leave.

Having held that position for his horror home series against India the following summer, Marsh's next shot at Test cricket came at No.4 in 2014, and he responded with a century against South Africa in Centurion.

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It would be another 22 months before Marsh raised his bat in a Test again, when he scored 182 batting at No.5 against West Indies in Hobart in December 2015.

Between those two hundreds, Marsh underlined his status as Australia's Mr Fix-It by playing eight Tests and batting in three different positions.

Having been called in to replace Michael Clarke at No.5 when the then-skipper injured his hamstring against India in the summer of 2014-15, Marsh stepped in for injured opener Chris Rogers for two Tests in the West Indies in 2015 and then for Usman Khawaja (hamstring) later that year. He was also unsuccessfully parachuted in to the No.4 position for Australia's defeat at Trent Bridge in the 2015 Ashes series, which saw England regain the urn.

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Despite his career-best score against the Windies in Hobart, Marsh was axed for the following Test when Khawaja regained full fitness and his next match was another patch-up job when he replaced dumped opener Joe Burns for the third Test of the 2016 tour of Sri Lanka. He responded with a century at the top of the order, but an untimely finger injury at the start of the 2016-17 summer saw him lose his spot to Burns and then youngster Matthew Renshaw, who quickly shut the door on Marsh with a strong debut summer.

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So it was at No.4 that Marsh returned, for the four-Test Qantas of India earlier this year, before he was recalled at No.6 for the start of this summer.

Whether he stays there, or if he's required to move up or down the order again, remains to be seen, but whatever the case, he's proven that he's up to any task the selectors give him.

Shaun Marsh by batting position

Opener Inns: 9 | Runs: 343 | Ave: 42.87 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 2 | HS: 130

No.3 Inns: 10 | Runs: 301 | Ave: 30.10 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 1 | HS: 141

No.4 Inns: 11 | Runs: 291 | Ave: 26.45 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 1 | HS: 148

No.5 Inns: 10 | Runs: 540 | Ave: 54.00 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 3 | HS: 182

No.6 Inns: 3 | Runs: 178 | Ave: 89.00 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 1 | HS: 126*

Overall Inns: 44 | Runs: 1653 | Ave: 39.35 | 100s: 5 | 50s: 8 | HS: 182

(Marsh scored 0 in one innings batting at No.10 in 2011 when he was injured during the Test)

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21