During England's demolition of Australia last summer, I spared a thought for Paul Collingwood. Aside from one diving catch in Perth, his performances were substandard and he knew it. In more trying circumstances, he might have cost his country dearly. It's not always easy to drink a stubby with your teammates when you haven't earned one.

One year later and it is Australia's new number three batsman, Shaun Marsh, who finds himself in a similar position to the gritty Geordie.

While Marsh's side continues to win, and win convincingly, he has offered next to nothing to the team cause. Aside from a few sharp catches from him behind the wicket, Australia has been effectively playing with ten men.

Something has always troubled me about Shaun Marsh: the son of ‘Swampy'.

No, it's not the fact that in 68 first class matches he averages just 38.18 with the bat. No, it's not even the fact that he has only scored seven first class centuries since making his debut in the summer of 2000/2001; ten less than Phil Hughes.

It's that I still don't know what Marsh is as a batsman.

We live in an era where sportsmen at the elite level need to define what they are or, in the least, have it defined for them.

Rahul Dravid is a brick wall. Lasith Malinga is a gunslinger. Dale Steyn is a predator. Ashwell Prince is a street fighter. Chris Gayle is a blazing reefer. Ijaz Ahmed was an axe murderer. Shane Warne was (and still is) a seducer. Mark Waugh was a ballerina condemned to a cricket field.

Where is Shaun Marsh's niche as a cricketer? Is he a graceful timer of the ball? Is he a compiler? Is he an opening batsman? Is he a number three? Is a Twenty/20 specialist? Is he a potential Test star whose frail body isn't willing to last the journey? Will he amount to more than a surname?

Marsh first burst onto the scene with a blistering IPL campaign in 2008 for the Kings XI Punjab. Despite missing the first four matches, he finished as the tournament's leading run scorer, earning the ‘coveted' Orange Cap.

Later in the same year he made his ODI debut for Australia in Kingstown against the West Indies. He opened the batting with Shane Watson and compiled an impressive 81.

Marsh has a penchant for playing impressive knocks on debut. Last year he made 141 on his Test debut against Sri Lanka, with his father, Geoff, watching on in the stands. It was a heartwarming day for Australian cricket and it should have marked the start of a stellar career.

However, as Marcus North has taught us, a ton on debut doesn't automatically guarantee a quality player of the future.

Crucially, Australia's new coach - and Marsh's former Western Warriors mentor - Mikey Arthur is a big fan of him.

Arthur recently said, "I think form's temporary and class is permanent and Shaun (Marsh) has definitely got class."

Arthur was speaking in relation to Marsh's poor output this summer. In Marsh's past five Test innings, he has scored a combined total of 14 runs, including three ducks.

Marsh had a delayed start to the Australian summer after injuring his back during the ill-fated Cape Town Test. He subsequently missed the two home Tests against New Zealand (which would have been ideal for him). He had little time and few opportunities to stake his claim for the series against India.

He returned for the Perth Scorchers via the revamped Big Bash League, making an impressive 99 not out against the Melbourne Renegades at Etihad Stadium. As we already know, Marsh is often good for runs first up.

He hasn't done himself any favours by pushing through the pain this summer. I understand why he was so eager to resume his place in the test team. He knew that if Usman Khawaja scored a breakthrough ton against the Indians, the stylish lefthander would be set in the team for the next decade.

Marsh displayed a similarly dogged attitude when struck down with gastro prior to the third test in Perth last week. He was determined to play, whatever the cost, and could hardly be blamed for it.

He failed once more (scoring 11) and now he must make runs on a traditionally flat Adelaide deck to ease the pressure that is mounting on him. It will be one of the more intriguing subplots in the ostensibly dead rubber.

As opposed to Paul Collingwood, Marsh has time on his side. Like North Korea's new ruler, Kim Jong-eun, he has the right name. Often one's name provides the foundations in life. Those who are worth the wait need to stand on their own two feet some day. To date, for all his apparent class, Marsh has failed to do so.