Perth, Oct 16 (IANS): Mitchell Marsh is set to return to bowling for Western Australia in the upcoming Sheffield Shield round as Australia gears up for a tough Test series against India.

With Cameron Green, who underwent surgery in Christchurch to fix stress fractures in his back, ruled out for the entire season, Marsh’s fitness and ability to bowl have become increasingly important for Australia ahead of Border-Gavaskar Series.

Marsh, who has bowled just four overs since tearing his hamstring during the IPL, made a start as a specialist batter for Western Australia, scoring 13 and 94 in their Shield opener against Queensland, which ended up in a draw.

Speaking to reporters in Perth at the launch of the 2025-26 Ashes fixtures, Marsh said, "I feel really good physically. I won’t bowl too much for WA, it’s all part of the building process to get ready for that first test."

"I see the allrounder role as really important, especially when our bowlers need a break. Those 10 to 13 overs can be really important. So for me, it’s about preparing to bowl as much as I can, as much as Patty (Cummins) needs me to," he added.

While there has been speculation about Marsh potentially moving up the order, especially with Steven Smith expected to return to No. 4, the allrounder dismissed the idea remained focused on contributing as an allrounder.

"Once you're in the field of battle, you bowl as many overs as the captain needs you to bowl. I see the allrounder role as being really important, especially for when our bowlers need a bit of a break. I think if you look back at the last few seasons, our allrounders have bowled maybe 10 to 13 overs a game, which is not really a lot.

"But those 10 to 13 overs can be really important. So for me, it's about preparing to bowl as much as I can, as much as Patty needs me to," he said.

Marsh also shared his thoughts on Green’s injury, saying, "We're all shattered for Cam. He loves playing cricket for Australia. Someone like Cam, with his attitude towards the game, how much he loves it, and the thought of missing that much cricket - it's probably a little bit daunting for him.

"But he's accepted it now. When you go through these things, there's an opportunity to come back better, and I have no doubt that he will."