Bird making the most of his chance

In an often turbulent year for Australia's Test side, Jackson Bird has been forced to observe most of the upheaval from the sidelines.

Having earned a recall for the tour of New Zealand in February after an absence of two-and-a-half years, the right-armer delivered his maiden five-wicket haul in Christchurch as the tourists secured a win that earnt them - briefly - the International Cricket Council's Test mace as the world's number one team.

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But Bird's breakthrough performance was followed by a nine-month absence from the Test team, and he could only watch on as Australia slumped to series defeats in Sri Lanka and then at home against South Africa, before returning for the final match of the series against the Proteas.

Remarkably, Bird entered this Boxing Day Test - his fifth of 2016 - with a 100 per cent winning record for the year, his appearance on Australia's team sheet on four previous occasions in the past 12 months resulting in victory.

Four victories that also happen to be Australia's only Test triumphs of the year thus far.

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His absence from the side during their five-match losing streak, and his exclusion from the start of the South African series due in part – according to comments from former selection chairman Rod Marsh – to his lack of ability with the bat has added up to a frustrating year at times for the 30-year-old.

But on Monday, Bird was back in the side and doing what he does best - picking up wickets.

"I don't think I've got a point to prove," he said after claiming the crucial scalps of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq as Pakistan finished a rain-shortened Boxing Day on 4-142.

"It's disappointing when your name doesn't get read out when you feel you're in and around the team.

"It's disappointing, but I feel like I've been bowling pretty well and contributing at good times for the team, which is pleasing for myself.

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"It's been good fun the last couple of weeks. I'm really enjoying it."

As one of Australia's cricketing nomads – the Sydney-born paceman got his chance at state level only after moving to Tasmania – it's perhaps no surprise that Bird is comfortable in the expansive surrounds of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It was here four years ago that he made his Test debut, the first of his two Tests that summer, which was followed by a single outing on the 2013 Ashes tour before a long absence from the side.

And his career numbers at the MCG prove that he knows how to bowl here; he's taken 23 wickets at just 16 in four previous Shield matches in Melbourne, as well as a match haul of 4-61 on Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2012.

Bird delivered again on Monday, the pick of Australia's bowlers with 2-53 from one ball short of 16 overs, even if conditions didn't suit him as much as he thought.

"It didn't really swing as much as we thought it would," he said.

"It swung a fair bit in the warm-ups so we thought it was going to swing in the game, but it didn't really.

"But there's definitely enough in the wicket if you bowl in the right areas.

"I think it's the type of wicket where whatever length you're bowling, you have to hit the wicket really hard. I think if you just float them up it's quite easy to score.

"The wickets I've played on at the MCG have usually been pretty good with bounce and carry. It might have been a little bit tennis bally today, but I thought the wicket was pretty good."

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