Siddle sidles into Test reckoning

Two months after Peter Siddle's Victoria fast-bowling colleague Darren Pattinson made a surprise Test debut for England, Siddle is hoping for a similar bolt-from-the-blue moment for Australia. Pattinson had 11 first-class games under his belt when his shock call-up arrived; Siddle has also played 11.

He knows a Test debut is unlikely as Doug Bollinger will probably be the first reserve in India but simply being named in the squad is a win for Siddle. He is light on experience but would certainly have played more matches had he had more co-operation from his troublesome right shoulder, which has been reconstructed.

The selectors have for several years viewed him as a long-term prospect; he has been given three separate stints at the Centre of Excellence. He has youth on his side and at 23 he was preferred to Ashley Noffke, 31, who accompanied Bollinger in the back-up duties in the West Indies this year.

Siddle is already in India, where he is preparing for Australia A's upcoming one-day games. The rain in their three-day matches against India A meant he had little chance to bowl, although his 15 overs in Bangalore brought him 1 for 27 and he is confident the experience has helped him adjust from Australian conditions.

"We haven't played a lot of cricket over here but the wickets are totally different from back home," Siddle told Cricinfo. "The important thing is to adjust your line and length. I did that quickly in Bangalore, in the first Test against India A, and did well.

"I normally run in and hit the wicket hard and get good bounce but over here that doesn't work. Here I need to be bit more fuller and make use of swing and be spot on with the line and length."

Siddle is deceptively quick and persistently attacking, which has helped him collect 41 first-class wickets at 21.65. He has also won praise from his Victoria coach Greg Shipperd for being a capable "stump-to-stump" bowler who makes the batsmen play and can also use reverse swing.

Siddle does not mind if a baggy green fails to eventuate on this trip but for Bollinger the journey will bring him within touching distance of international cricket. He has been a relentless accumulator of wickets on the domestic scene in the past couple of seasons and 4 for 59 against India A last week proved he is adaptable.

"The conditions are different to back home, which are bit harder," Bollinger said. "It's a good challenge. I just bowled a lot straighter and attacked the batsmen a bit more. It's a learning process still."

A tall left-armer who usually gains impressive bounce, he was the leading wicket taker in the Pura Cup last season with 45 at 15.44. Bollinger, 27, also has time on his side and having sat in the dressing rooms in the Caribbean, he is simply looking forward to more experience with the Test squad.

"I wouldn't say I smell an opening now," Bollinger said. "But being around I should remain positive and try and do everything right so that if the opportunity does happen I can just slip in easily."