Big things expected of Doolan, says Bailey

Alex Doolan’s century in last week’s Sheffield Shield match against Victoria was a long time coming for the former Test No.3.

Doolan’s 119 for Tasmania against the top-of-the-table Bushrangers was the first time he has reached triple-figures in a first-class match since October 2014, when he made a century in a tour game during Australia’s Test tour to the UAE for a series against Pakistan.

In the first Test of that tour, he made 5 and 0 on a turning Dubai track and was replaced by Glenn Maxwell for the second and final match.

The 30-year-old has since struggled to rediscover the same form that helped deliver him a Baggy Green.

Doolan has been dropped from the Tigers’ Shield side twice this season but was recalled after making a century for his club side and promptly replicated the feat for Tasmania.

Quick Single: Tasmania complete thumping of Victoria

“To a certain extent I was due, it has been a little while since my last hundred,” Doolan said. “I felt good and I had a little bit of luck, which helped.

“(My mindset after being dropped) didn’t really change too much to be honest. (I was) batting in a different spot but it didn’t change my state of mind too much.

“Scoring runs becomes a little bit of a habit so to get some in grade cricket and then back it up, hopefully the trend continues.”

In 2013, Doolan caught the eye of then Australia captain Michael Clarke, who was playing a rare Shield match for New South Wales, as the Tasmanian notched a fourth-innings 132 to help the Tigers defeat the Blues.

''He played very well,'' Clarke said at the time. ''That was a fantastic innings … and played a huge part in getting Tasmania home.

''I thought he batted with great patience, but played his natural game. That was a very good innings.''

Months later, he was playing alongside Clarke for Australia on their Test tour of South Africa and facing the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel on a seaming Centurion wicket in the first Test.

When he crafted a superb 89 in the second innings of that match, it seemed that Australia had finally found a long-term Test No.3 batsman, a position they had struggled to fill since the retirement of Ricky Ponting.

But Doolan found himself back playing for Tasmania following the UAE tour later that year, with the national selectors installing Shane Watson back in the No.3 slot for the home Tests against India.

Now he will be hoping last week’s century sparks a run of form that will carry him back into the Test side.

Quick Single: Road to the Sheffield Shield final

Tigers captain George Bailey praised his teammate’s work ethic in trying to find that touch.

"Like all the batters, we are all hungry for runs and all hungry for centuries and I know ‘Dools’ has been working really hard, it is just sometimes that doesn’t transform into what you would like in the middle,” Bailey told the Hobart Mercury.

"I think he has really settled in the last few weeks and a hundred in grade cricket last week and backed up with another here was fantastic to see.

“He has been striking the ball really nicely all year, it has just been hunger for runs and hunger for big runs.

“As a senior player we probably demand and expect more of him than we do of a lot of other players.

“We expect Dools to be getting hundreds and, to be honest, back challenging for a place in the Australian side.”