Swepson holds element of surprise for Aussies: Waugh

Former captain Steve Waugh says Australia should reinstall Shaun Marsh to open alongside David Warner for this month's Qantas tour of India.

While Queensland batsman Matthew Renshaw, who made his Test debut against South Africa in Adelaide last November, staked his claim for an opener's spot with a determined maiden century against Pakistan at the SCG, Waugh believes Marsh's record on the subcontinent and his experience should win out.

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"For me, while Matt Renshaw has done exceptionally well in Australia I'd be very tempted to play Shaun Marsh in the first Test," Waugh said during a fan chat on his official Facebook page.

"He has a proven track record and he was the incumbent opener before he was injured.

"I think he's ready to go at this level, he knows the conditions well, he's played in the Indian Premier League.

"It gives Australia a bit more experience. I would open the batting with him and Dave Warner."

Posted by Steve Waugh on Wednesday, 8 February 2017

Marsh was recalled to Australia's Test squad for the four-match tour of India having recovered from a fractured finger during the first Test against South Africa at the WACA Ground.

He comes back into the fold after a strong finish to the KFC Big Bash League season, where he scored back-to-back half-centuries to guide the Perth Scorchers into the BBL|06 final.

Marsh, 33, also boasts a strong record in the subcontinent, where he averages 78.6 in Tests having scored two centuries in Sri Lanka, including in his debut Test in 2011.

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"I'm happy he is back in the squad," Waugh said.

"I think he can add something in those conditions, he's got a very good record on the subcontinent particularly against Sri Lanka on the two tours he's been there."

Should selectors decide to stick with Renshaw at the top of the order, the versatile Marsh could instead find himself slotting in at No.3 or even lower down the order.

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Last month, former Australia opener Chris Rogers speculated Renshaw's burgeoning partnership with Warner and Marsh's good track record in Asia may have instead heaped pressure on incumbent No.3 Usman Khawaja.

Khawaja had a tough time on last winter's tour of Sri Lanka, scoring 55 runs at 13.75 across two Tests before being dropped, while Marsh scored a century when recalled for the third Test.

"It's a difficult one ... what you hear behind the scenes is that they want Shaun Marsh in the side," Rogers told Optus Sport's Stumps.

"I think (Marsh) is still right in the reckoning for India. How he gets in there (the starting XI) I'm not sure.

"It's going to be very hard for selectors to drop Matt Renshaw after (the SCG Test) so Usman Khawaja might be under pressure and what a big call that would be."

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No matter which opening combination Australia opt for, Waugh acknowledged it would be an incredibly tough task to topple India on their home turf and offered some sage captaincy advice to Steve Smith.

"After being to India a number of times on quite a few tours, I think attitude is the key," Waugh said.

"We had a saying in the Australian cricket team: 'Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?'

"And what that means is, are you going to be a role model to the people around you, do you want people to emulate your attitude?

"Because in India there's going to be a lot of challenges, it's going to be tough."

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Staying positive and setting small goals within each day rather would also be crucial, Waugh said.

"It's a four-match tour, you want to focus on that first Test match, break it down into small sections," the former skipper said.

"Try and win the first session of the first day of the first Test. Keep it simple.

"He's going to need to rely on the senior players around him especially during the game when it's going to get noisy.

"When Virat Kohli is going to be scoring runs, it's going to be like a tsunami of support.

"You have to keep calm in those situations, the players have got to look for your hand signals because a lot of time you can't be heard.

"Don't look too far ahead and make sure your attitude is very good."