Australian spinner Adam Zampa has revealed he was left feeling "very disappointed" and "very flat" after being overlooked for Australia's upcoming Test tour of India.
Zampa was seen to be in the frame for a potential squad inclusion for next month's trip abroad, with the touring nation picking four spin options for the four-match series.
After hints suggested Zampa's form would likely have him on the plane to India, the leg-spinner was left on the outer of Andrew McDonald's 18-man squad, with selectors favouring untried Victorian Todd Muprhy.
Murphy was joined by incumbent spinner Nathan Lyon, recent Test return Ashton Agar and Queenslander Mitch Swepson in the squad, forcing Zampa to remain on the outer of the national side.
After looking to impress with a stronger input in the red-ball format with New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield, Zampa was left a little surprised to not see his name listed in the Australian squad.
"I'm very disappointed, I would loved to have been on it," Zampa said on missing out on the India tour, per cricket.com.au.
"I thought with the way that I've been going in international cricket in particular that this was going to be my opportunity.
"And that was the messaging I got six weeks ago as well that this was going to be very good chance I could potentially be on it but now that I'm not, I'm very flat about it and it's time to just move on from it.
"I was really excited to potentially be on this tour … and the messaging was that my style of bowling might have been handy over there.
"But I think potentially last minute that was a change of mind."
At age 30 and with Australia unlikely to rely on deeper spinning stocks for the remainder of the calendar year, Zampa's chances of a baggy green look unlikely, with attention likely to turn toward the incoming fringe options.
Given their call to include four spinners for the series, Australia are likely to name two spinners for their first XI when they travel to Nagpur on February 9.
With Lyon holding one spot in the side, it remains to be seen which one of Agar, Murphy or Swepson will get the nod for the secondary duties.
Agar struggled to impress in his return to the Australian Test team for their drawn result against South Africa earlier this month, while Swepson has recently fallen out of favour in the eyes of the selectors.
Murphy's Sheffield Shield form has placed him on the plane for a potential Test debut, having taken 14 wickets from his five innings with the ball for an average of 17.71.
