Burns bolts into Aussie Test squad

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Burns has yet to represent Australia at senior level in any form of cricket but his strong form in the Sheffield Shield for Queensland led to his selection for the second Test versus India, with Marsh given time to recover from a hamstring injury sustained in Brisbane.

In five matches for Queensland this season, Burns sits fourth in the competition for runs scored with 439 from nine innings at an average of 54.87 - including one century of 183 against New South Wales.

The 25-year-old averages 42.54 at first-class level with seven hundreds and 17 half-centuries to his name.

"Joe Burns can bat anywhere from one to six," Cricket Australia quoted Australia coach Darren Lehmann on Twitter.

"There's some flexibility there."

Lehmann coached Burns when in charge of Queensland from 2011 to 2013.

On Sunday, Lehmann explained that he and the other selectors did not want to risk Marsh with the fourth Test in Sydney, plus a one-day international (ODI) tri-series versus India and England, as well as the Cricket World Cup all to come in the next three months.

And with Shane Watson bowling impressively in India's second innings at the Gabba, the selectors were comfortable replacing Marsh with a batsman in Burns rather than another all-rounder.

While Burns has done well for a struggling Queensland team in the Sheffield Shield, former Australia representatives Ed Cowan and Adam Voges could feel aggrieved for being overlooked.

Voges, who has played ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals for Australia, has the second-best average in the Sheffield Shield this season with 107.00 and has scored more runs (509) than any other player bar former Test opener Cowan (590).

But at 35 and 32 respectively, age has seemingly counted against Voges and Cowan, while the latter may have missed out due to Lehmann's expectation David Warner will be fit to play in Melbourne, despite the explosive opening batsman being struck on the thumb in Brisbane on Saturday.

Australia will start the Boxing Day Test at the MCG with a 2-0 series lead and look set to rotate their fast bowlers again with Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle recalled.

"Ryan Harris bowled with Peter Siddle this morning," Lehmann said.

"Will make a call closer to Boxing Day about our final XI."

Having taken just two wickets at the Gabba, Mitch Starc looks the most likely paceman to miss out if either Harris or Siddle are selected.

Australia squad: Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, Joe Burns, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Mitch Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson

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