'Frustrating': Shaun Marsh addresses form woes

Shaun Marsh has described his form as “frustrating” and made a conscious decision to ignore the critics ahead of an important knock to come in the second innings of the fourth Test.

The 35-year-old was caught at first slip for eight on Saturday to take his series tally to 183 runs at an underwhelming average of 26.1.

Shaun Marsh hasn't been at his best against India. Credit: AAP

Marsh has passed 50 once in his last 19 Test innings and the noise is getting louder that his position in the team is under serious threat.

Speaking on Fox Cricket during a rain delay on day four at the SCG, Marsh addressed his form slump and conceded he was not kicking on as much as he should be.

“Obviously it’s been a bit frustrating,” Marsh said. “I haven’t been able to convert my starts into big scores which is disappointing but [I am] working hard and hopefully there is a big one in the second innings.

“I’ve been getting myself in but just been getting out. At Test level you have to be able to convert your starts into big scores and unfortunately I haven’t done it this series.”

Not for the first time in his career, the heat is on Marsh to perform and former Australian opener Simon Katich made that clear on SEN after his single-digit dig.

"He's leaving the door ajar [to be dropped] given what's coming up. At his age he'd want to make every post a winner, otherwise the selectors can very easily go a different way," Katich said.

"He's leaving himself up the creek and potentially throwing both paddles away."

Marsh said he was trying to ignore the scrutiny and just focus on making the most of his starts.

“I try not to read or listen to it too much,” Marsh said. “Obviously there is a lot of noise there but I try and go about my business as normal and try and just keep working hard and hopefully tomorrow I can get some runs on the board.

“I’m really lucky I’ve got a fantastic family back home and I’ve got a really good support base.”

In one-day internationals though, it is a totally different story for the left-hander who has plundered three hundreds in his last six innings.

Australia have three one-dayers coming up against India after the Sydney Test and Marsh would have been one of the first selected in a 14-man squad.

“I’ve felt really good in the one-dayers the last 12 months,” Marsh said. “I’m looking forward to the one-day series after this Test finishes.”

It looked like Marsh would get another chance to spend time in the middle before poor light ensured day four finished incomplete.

With brother Mitch out of the side, the older Marsh brother is fighting to keep his place in the team and it will be interesting to see whether selectors persist with him for upcoming Tests after the one-dayers against Sri Lanka in Brisbane and Sri Lanka.

They may go in a new direction given how many chances Marsh has had but to his credit, the left-hander has plundered 443 runs at 88.6 in the Sheffield Shield season. There is no doubt Marsh is on another level for Western Australia but an inability to reach his potential at Test level means he is regarded as one of the most frustrating cricketers in Australia.

Marsh has now been dismissed for single figures in 42 per cent of his 66 Test innings and averages 34 overall despite at one point in his career getting that number above 40.

A fighting hundred on day five though could silence the doubters and all but guarantee Marsh a ticket to the UK later this year for the Ashes.