DURHAM'S John Hastings took another stride towards cementing his place in Australia's one-day side when he took four for 58 in the series-clinching win against India at Melbourne.

Although not in the original squad, Hastings was called up for the second match at Brisbane when Mitchell Marsh was rested and impressed sufficiently to retain his place.

It meant Australia went into the Melbourne match with three seam-bowling all-rounders in Hastings, Marsh and James Faulkner. It more than compensated for the retirement of Mitchell Johnson and the ankle injury which is keeping out Mitchell Starc.

“Faulkner and Marsh have unique skill-sets and I offer something different as well,” said Hastings, adding: “I think it can work.

“The Brisbane pitch was slower than I have seen for some time and offered no sideways movement. There wasn't much there so for us to pull it back the way we did was a good effort after India reached the last ten overs with only two down.”

Hastings was entrusted with the 50th over in that match and conceded only four runs as India closed on 308 for eight, which Australia passed with an over to spare.

It was a similar story at Melbourne, where India made 295 for six and Australia won by three wickets with seven balls left. Glenn Maxwell, who was with Yorkshire last season, made 96 before getting out with one needed following a stand of 80 with Faulkner.

Hastings has signed to return to Durham for the full season this year and coach Jon Lewis was happy to see him rested from four-day cricket by Victoria after doing well in the first Sheffield Shield match.

The strapping all-rounder had a heavy workload with Durham last summer and was struggling with a shoulder problem by the time he was called up by Australia for the last two one-day internationals against England. He got through them with the help of a pain-killing injection.

“I think John had a bit of an injury problem before Christmas,” said Lewis. “The less he plays during our winter the better it us for us, but it did occur to me when Mitchell Johnson retired that he might get more chances with Australia.”

Melbourne has been a happy hunting ground recently for Hastings, who starred in front of the 88,000 crowd which watched the Big Bash derby match at the MCG on January 2.

He included Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo among his victims in taking four for 29 before the Stars passed the Renegades' 161 for seven with seven wickets and five balls in hand, Sussex's Luke Wright making an unbeaten 109.

Kevin Pietersen is also in the Melbourne Stars team, who have progressed to the semi-finals and will face Perth Scorchers, who include former Chester-le-Street seamer Andrew (A J) Tye.

He took nine wickets in a match for Durham seconds in 2011 and is currently third in the Big Bash wicket-taking list with 13. Yorkshire's Adil Rashid is top with 15, helping Adelaide Strikers into a semi-final against Sydney Thunder.

The Thunder are captained by former Durham skipper Mike Hussey, who at 41 is the second highest run scorer in the competition with 277 from seven innings at an average of 55.4. He also has an impressive strike rate of 135 runs per 100 balls.

If Hastings continues to impress he could earn selection for the World Twenty20 Championship in India, which ends on April 3. Durham's first LV County Championship match starts one week later at home to Somerset.