West Australian Shaun Marsh is ready to shine at Test cricket according

to teammate Brad Haddin, after the 28-year-old left-hander was named to

make his debut against Sri Lanka.

Marsh will replace Ricky

Ponting in the team for the second Test in Kandy starting on Thursday

after his selection was confirmed by skipper Michael Clarke on Tuesday.

It

means Marsh becomes the first son of a Test player – his father Geoff

represented Australia 50 times at Test level – to don a Baggy Green

since since Syd Gregory’s debut in 1912.

Gregory’s father Ned played in the first official Test match in 1877.

And Haddin has backed Marsh’s call-up, saying it’s a good time to give him a chance at Test level.

“He’s going to be a wonderful player I think Shaun and I think he’s ready now for Test cricket,” Haddin said.

“He’s

done a lot of growing up from a cricket point of view in the last 24

months and I know from the squad we’re really looking forward to him

having a crack at Test cricket, because I think he can be something

pretty special.”

Marsh’s inclusion is the only change from the

team which won the first Test by 125-runs, meaning both Trent Copeland

and off-spinner Nathan Lyon retain their spots after making their

debuts in Galle.

And Haddin says he hopes selectors persist with Lyon, who took six wickets on debut including 5-34 in the first innings.

The

NSW gloveman said from behind the stumps he could see plenty of promise

with 23-year-old Lyon, comparing him to England’s Graeme Swann.

“He’s

only five games into a first class career but what we’ve seen, he has

got good shape on the ball and he is a work in progress so he’s only

going to get better and better as time goes on,” Haddin said.

“We all know we’ve got to be patient with the spinners and give them an opportunity to develop.

“I

think Nathan has obviously got something pretty special in him but he’s

obviously got a bit of work to do on his bowling and he knows that.

“From

keeping to him, he’s got similar drift to what Graeme Swann has. He’s

got quite a nice little shape on it. He’s a work in progress but I

think he’s got something there that’s going to be pretty good for

Australian cricket.”
Australia held their first training session at

the Pallekele International Stadium on Tuesday and have a final run at

the venue on Wednesday.

In other news, match referee Chris Broad

declared the dusty pitch for the first innings “poor” meaning Sri Lanka

Cricket could receive a fine from the ICC.
Australia: Shane

Watson, Phillip Hughes, Shaun Marsh, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael

Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris,

Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon. (12th Man: Michael Beer)