Queensland might have taken the points from their opening Sheffield Shield fixture against South Australia, but it seems the Australian Test selectors might end up being the big winners.
The Bulls claimed an easy 191-run victory after bowling the Redbacks out for 271, grabbing all eight wickets they needed for the win in an extended first session on Thursday.
However, it was the efforts of two Test rejects - Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes - that will live longest in the memory.
Both impressed on their first outings after leaving NSW for fresh challenges interstate.
Khawaja's 88 on a bright green Gabba pitch on day one was enough to convince Queensland captain James Hopes that an Australian recall is only a matter of time.
"Our new recruit Usman Khawaja, he was exceptional on a wicket like that," Hopes said.
"He showed the kind of technique that makes him a candidate to bat in the top order for Australia."
Khawaja entered the fray with his side at 1-0 and in potential strife, with clouds hanging around Brisbane all day and the new ball zipping around ominously.
But he saw off the danger, picked his shots and drove the Bulls to an insurmountable advantage.
"Every time he's come here, even when he was playing for New South Wales, he's scored runs here," Hopes said.
"It's a good test of batting, Shield cricket at the Gabba, and he always seems to score runs here.
"In my books, he's got a technique ready-made to bat top order in Test cricket."
South Australia captain Nathan Lyon also praised his former Australian team-mate.
"Full credit goes to Usman, he played unbelievable," Lyon said.
"It was a tough pitch, pretty tacky early on. We bowled probably a tad too short and (Queensland) played and missed a bit, but full credit to them."
A refined Hughes, who was South Australia's sole highlight over the four days, also earned a big tick from his skipper.
"Phil's a fantastic recruit to have for South Australian cricket. And it showed, the class of him today and the whole game," Lyon said.
"He's provided us with a lot of energy on and off the field. He's helping a few of our young bats coming through the ranks. It's awesome to have him on board."
It wasn't just Hughes' numbers of 95 and 83 that caught the eye. It was the way he batted - assured and sturdy - that earned rave reviews, even if he was dismissed on both occasions in the slips, a familiar end for him.
With Khawaja and Hughes both making their first steps towards a baggy green renaissance, all of a sudden Australia's under-the-surface batting stocks seem in rude health.
On the topic of Test selection, Lyon might find himself in a spot of bother.
The off-spinner was carted for combined figures of 2-128 from 27 overs. His bowling was treated with scant respect by Queensland bats, with man-of-the-match Ben Cutting taking a particular liking to him.
All in all, Lyon was smashed for 11 boundaries and was sent over the fence on six occasions.
Bulls centurion Chris Hartley described him as the 'type of guy that if you can put a bit of pressure on him, you might be able to score' - something that does not bode well ahead of a summer visit from South Africa.
"I probably wasn't at my best in this game but I'm still confident in my own skill set to get the job done," Lyon admitted.
"There's minimal (room for) error here. To their credit, they played myself really well.
"Test match to a Shield pitch is totally different. I'm just looking to getting back down to Adelaide next week and really nailing down my routine and hopefully performing down there for the Redbacks."
First Posted 04 October, 2012 9:30PM AEDT
