McGain hoping to stick around

Bryce McGain is set to make his Test debut against India next month © Getty Images

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Veteran leg-spinner Bryce McGain is hoping to feature in the Australia Test team for “a few years to come” after being named in the 15-man squad for the four-Test tour of India at the age of 36.

The Victoria bowler was preparing himself for a season of grade cricket only two years ago, but now finds himself tantalisingly close to earning a baggy green cap.

On what Bushrangers coach Greg Shipperd described as a “terrific day for Victorian cricket”, McGain was today named alongside state team-mate Peter Siddle in an Australia squad which had no room for all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

McGain slept through two phone calls after flying home on Thursday night from India, where he was on Australia A duties, but finally received the good news on Friday morning.

With Tasmania's Jason Krejza the other spinner in the squad, McGain will almost certainly make his Test debut next month on the spin-friendly wickets of India.

Should he do so, he will become the oldest Test debutant since Bob Holland in 1984.

It would cap a meteoric rise for McGain, who had to wait until he was 34 and the retirement of Shane Warne before he became a regular first-class cricketer.

"I guess I don't really understand when to give up," he said.

"I'm happy that it has come and, my age aside, I hope to do this not just for one Test but hopefully a few years to come."

Shipperd likened McGain to another Victoria-born spinner who did not make his debut until well into his 30s.

"Once I saw Bryce bowl, his consistency reminded me of someone like Colin Miller, for example, who came out of the blue and was into that level of competition and performed brilliantly basically from ball one," Shipperd said.

Victoria coach Greg Shipperd likens McGain's rise to former Australia spinner Colin Miller

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"Bryce did that last year, right across all forms of the game which I thought was an outstanding achievement and no doubt he's got some good years ahead of him.

Like McGain, Miller came from relative obscurity and was named Australia's Test Player of the Year in 2000/01 when the side was in the midst of a record-breaking winning streak.

As he did prior to the Australia A tour, McGain will again consult Warne before flying out with Ricky Ponting's side later this month.

Importantly for McGain, he grabbed 3-51 for Australia A earlier this month in the sub-continent before having his tour prematurely ended by a shoulder injury.

The injury, however, was not serious and McGain expects to be back bowling by early next week.

Siddle, 23, learned of his selection in India where, because of torrential rain, he has spent much of the tour in the dressing room.

Shipperd said Siddle, who grabbed 33 wickets in five first-class matches last season, had bowled well earlier in the tour.

"He was, I was told, the fastest bowler in the recent match over there in India which may surprise some," Shipperd said.

"But he does bowl a very aggressive heavy ball, stump to stump, great lines, bowls well to right-handers and left-handers and, given reverse-swinging conditions, would do also a good job. His time is now."