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Australia's players are on holidays on Thursday as they seek some mental and physical refuge from the battering of their second Test defeat to India.
Though it is the bowling attack that seems to require most urgent reinforcement, Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch named West Australian batsman Shaun Marsh on Wednesday night to replace reserve opener Phil Jaques, whose tour was cut short by a debilitating back problem.
Marsh will arrive in India to greet a team feeling sore and sorry after back-to-back Tests that left them little to show for their efforts, with the 320-run hiding in Mohali providing a stern reminder that the tourists are now back to the field in Test cricket after the gradual loss of a generation of greats.
Vice captain Michael Clarke said that the time away from the game would do all the players the world of good.
"A couple of days off will help," he said.
"To leave the bat and ball in the bag for a while will be great...there's enough experience in our team to know things can turn around quickly in India."
Clarke laughed off suggestions that the leave might have been cancelled for some additional training to work on the issues shown up in Mohali.
"No naughty boy nets at this stage," he said.
"We'll take the next three days off then be back into the nets."
The selection of Marsh may disappoint those who had been pushing for the return of out-of-favour all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
