Pattinson set for next step on comeback trail

James Pattinson has been pulling some late shifts on the couch watching his teammates take on England over the past few weeks, but he says he was never a chance to be there himself.

A hamstring injury picked up late last season had ended any hopes Pattinson had of earning a spot in Australia's initial Ashes squad, but head selector Rod Marsh indicated in March that the right-armer could be a late inclusion should injury befall one of the five quicks in the touring party.

That scenario materialised earlier this month when Ryan Harris was ruled out of the series – and consequently announced his retirement – due to injury.

But it was NSW quick Pat Cummins, not Pattinson, who was drafted into the squad to replace Harris despite having not played a first-class match for two years.

Pattinson was training at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane alongside Cummins when the latter was called up, but the Victorian insists he was never in contention to replace Harris.

"I wasn't available to be picked, my (bowling workloads) weren't high enough," Pattinson said on Wednesday.

"I had to pass a few tests with my hamstring as well, which I've done. And now I am available to be picked."

While a second Ashes tour will have to wait, Pattinson will this weekend take a significant step forward in his return to the international fold when he heads to the subcontinent for the 50-over component of Australia A's tour of India.

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Pattinson has been remodelling his action at the Bupa NCC // Getty Images

The 25-year-old has played just one match for his country since Australia's Ashes campaign in the UK two years ago; he was part of the side that clinched a famous series victory over South Africa 18 months ago.

Having been twice laid low with stress fractures in his back, Pattinson has been restricted to just three first-class matches since that match in Cape Town and has been forced to undergo several frustrating periods of recovery and rehabilitation, as well as remedial work on his bowling action.

It's hoped that Pattinson's new side-on action will prevent a reoccurrence of those serious back problems and help prolong a Test career that started in such promising fashion with a five-wicket haul on debut against New Zealand in 2011.

But adopting a new action comes with its own set of teething problems, as Pattinson discovered on his return to first-class cricket last summer.

"When you make changes it affects other parts of the body and with those changes I made, my hamstring went," he said.

"So I've done a fair bit of work trying to strengthen that up as well as trying to not think about my action too much and just let it go.

"Last year I was probably still thinking about my action a bit.

"I'm really comfortable with that and now it's about playing games and getting some consistency.

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Pattinson has played three first-class matches since March 2014 // Getty Images

"I'm still swinging the ball in the nets, which is a good sign. Probably being more side-on I've got to finish off a bit more ... and hopefully that won't affect my outswing. It hasn't yet.

"(My pace) is getting better. The more I play the better I feel.

"I'm feeling really good hopefully now that I've tipped over the other aside of 25 (years old) I can try and stay on the park and get some good luck."

If anyone is due some good luck, it's Pattinson.

Having fought his way back from the first bout of stress fractures that curtailed his 2013 Ashes campaign, he was struck down by the same injury following that win in Cape Town in March the following year.

The newly-engaged quick says dealing with the second back injury was the most frustrating period of the past two years, but he remains philosophical as he embarks on his latest comeback.

"Getting (stress fractures) when I'd just started to play some good cricket and was feeling really comfortable with my body (during) the Ashes in England, and to do the hard work and get 'stressies' again and have another year out, that was pretty hard," he says.

"But I could be in a worse situation. I'm getting to train and play cricket as a living and I really enjoy that.

"And I have no doubt that with a bit of patience and perseverance I can get back out there.

"It is frustrating, but I'm still very young. I've just turned 25 so hopefully I have another 10 years left in me.

"It's been a disappointing patch because I'm not playing but I've had some good learning curves off the field. I've worked closely with some bowling coaches (to) get my strength up and try and get some positives out of a bad situation."

Despite the earlier-than-expected retirement of Harris, Australia's depth of quality fast-bowlers means Pattinson is far from guaranteed to regain his spot in the Test side.

But if the words of Marsh ring true, Pattinson is sure to add to his 13 Tests in the not too distant future.

"We hold him in high regard. He's a hell of a good bowler," Marsh said at that press conference in March.

"We want him right. When he gets right, then we will have some real selection problems."

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