Bouncing Bracken aims for Test recall

Nathan Bracken hopes the bouncer he added to his repertoire in the off-season will help earn him a spot in Australia's revamped Test attack. As the side prepared for life after Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne during the winter, Bracken was working on the weapon at the request of the bowling coach Troy Cooley.

Bracken has been a successful one-day swing bowler over the past couple of years but has not played a Test since 2005. "Last year I worked hard on trying to bowl balls quicker, and in Australia I hit 145kph a few times," Bracken told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Troy keeps harping on me to get a bouncer, so I've been working hard on that in the off-season."

Bracken said he used the delivery more in state matches and it was "a confidence thing". "In international cricket, I always think that every ball could be a wicket," he said. "Ricky [Ponting] and Troy said the same thing: a good bouncer can get you a wicket further down the track. So it's just about changing things up and giving your bowling a different aspect."

Since returning for the Super Series in 2005, Bracken has taken 84 wickets in 50 matches at 21.91. He arrived in India on Tuesday after being at the birth of his son in Sydney and is already looking ahead to the home Test series against Sri Lanka and India.

"I'd love to play more Test cricket," Bracken said. "I would love to be the player who takes that opportunity and takes that spot. It might not be me taking five wickets a game, but bowling well and doing the roles that are needed at the time."