Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins is slowly but surely making a return from a long injury layoff, but even he could understand he wouldn't be selected for the touring squad due to a lack of match-fitness.
The 23-year-old is finally enjoyed some consistent cricket after an injury-ravaged career to date, and his strong form in the recent ODIs against New Zealand and Pakistan have had former Australian stars calling for his spot in the touring team of India.
Cummins wasn't selected in the side as Jackson Bird, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all got the nod ahead of the New South Welshman, and Cummins knows he needs to play some red-ball cricket before he can get back into the Test equation.
"I knew I wasn't going to be selected, I haven't played a Shield game yet (this summer)," Cummins said.
"But knowing I've got heaps of one-dayers and T20s and the possibility of a Shield game at the end of the season is pretty exciting
"I'll hopefully play a Shield game sometime this year. We've got six (more) ODIs here and in New Zealand (over the next three weeks) and then there's three T20s (against Sri Lanka in February). I'd love to be a part of all that.
"Then that still leaves me time to play at least one Shield game."
Cummins burst onto the scene in 2011 when he made his Test debut against South Africa, taking seven wickets in a strong performance in Johannesburg.
Unfortunately for Cummins, that Test remains his only match in a baggy green in his career, after injuries got the better of him, allowing for him to play just eight first-class matches since making his debut seven years ago.
If Cummins makes a return to the NSW Blues Shield line-up as early as possible (the Feb 25 match against Tasmania), it will be a staggering 2,172 days since he last played for the Blues in first-class cricket.
"The start of the summer (my goal) was to get through to the New Zealand ODIs before Christmas and everything worked perfectly and it got me there," he said.
"Since then we set another goal to get through the Big Bash and these ODIs and at the moment, that's pretty much all I'm thinking about and we'll re-assess after that.
"If I get through all these eight one-dayers and bowl a lot of overs at a good intensity, that should get me ready for Shield cricket."
