'My role will differ with team combination' - Marsh

Australia seam-bowling allrounder Mitchell Marsh has said he is prepared to tailor his role to the team's needs once the Tests against Sri Lanka begin. Depending on the team combination - four pacers and one spinner, or three pacers and two spinners - he said his job would change, but he was ready to adapt accordingly.

"I think depending on the outlook of the team and whether they bowl two spinners or three quicks and me, my role will differ," Marsh said in Colombo, on the eve of Australia's three-day tour match against a Sri Lankan XI. "But for me it's about just playing the conditions, I will be attacking the stumps as much as I can, with fields that allow me to bowl like that.

"I think if we've got two spinners I'll probably bowl a bit more with the newer ball being the third seamer. It's always nice in these conditions to bowl when the ball's a little bit harder and potentially swinging a little bit, but I don't really mind, I'll just bowl wherever the skipper needs me to bowl. Whatever the selectors go with, I'll just prepare as best I can."

The Tests begin on July 26 in Pallekele, and, aside from the official tour game, Australia have been tuning up with intra-squad matches. Marsh, who is likely to slot in at No. 6 with the bat, said he expected both spin and reverse swing to play a big role in Sri Lankan conditions, and he will be training to face up to both. All the batsmen in the squad, he said, were preparing to face stiff challenges, especially when new at the crease.

"That's something we've spoken about as a batting group already, just being as sharp as we can to start our innings. I think conditions, whether it is spinning or whether it is reverse swing, it's always going to come into it massively when we're batting.

"I'll be preparing as best I can over the coming week for the different conditions, and I think the start of the innings here is really important."