Pattinson fit and ready for Test call-up

James Pattinson insists he is fit and ready for a return to the Australian Test team this summer after his starring role for the Bushrangers in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup at Hurstville Oval today.

On a day that marked exactly three years since his last one-day appearance for Victoria, the exciting paceman produced a scintillating display of fast bowling to kick-start his summer of cricket.

The 25-year-old led the way for the Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers with figures of 4-18 off 10 overs in a record-breaking victory over the Cricket Australia XI to open their one-day tournament with two bonus points.

Quick single: Maxi can be the best in the world: Finch

It would be easy to dismiss the performance given the inexperienced opposition, but Pattinson was both frightening with his pace and disciplined with his control to bag a four-wicket haul in the 50-over format for the first time since March 2012.

Watch: Pattinson tears through CA XI

After a horror run of injuries that included two occurrences of stress fractures in his back, Pattinson believes today was the most comfortable he has felt with a new bowling action that has been a work in progress for approximately two years to get more side-on and reduce the impact of counter-rotation.

"When you do change something it’s always hard to get that rhythm all the time and that’s probably what I lacked," Pattinson told media after his man-of-the-match performance.

"I felt good one spell and then another spell would feel different and I think that’s because I was in training mode a lot and it’s hard to take that into games when you haven’t had that competition for two years.

"You train so much and sometimes it’s hard to switch into game mode.

"It’s probably taken me a bit longer than I thought it would.  A tournament like this is good when you play a lot of cricket.

"I’m not playing at international level so I can relax and get into my work a bit more, which is something I’ve really needed.

"I really need to perform well at state level before playing international cricket and I feel like I’ve got the opportunity here."

Watch: Vics rout CA XI for 79

An effect of the bowling change was the impact it had on other parts of the body with a pair of hamstring injuries at the end of last summer ruling him out of the tours of the Caribbean and the Bristish Isles in the winter.

Since his return from the latest setback, Pattinson has struggled to find the consistency that made him so dangerous when he burst onto the Test arena in 2011.

Quick single: Starc happy to power through the pain

In six matches of 50-over cricket leading into the summer – four ‘A’ games in India and two ODIs in England – the right-arm speedster claimed a combined four wickets at an average of 63.25.

Pattinson said he made a conscious effort to simply unleash on the squad of young guns to try and find some freedom in bowling once again.

"When you do have a lot of injuries you can hold back a little bit," the Victorian spearhead said.

"I trust my body now and I’m a bit older so I’m just trying to get back to hitting the deck and doing what I do and that’s bowl fast.

"You try to look for those good performances to get confidence, but to be honest, I haven’t played for two years so they’re not really there.

"It’s been a long road but I always knew I’d get a chance and take some wickets sooner rather than later."

Watch: Bosisto says CA XI will benefit from lessons

Pattinson insists he is ready to return in the Baggy Green should he earn a call-up for the Commonwealth Bank Test series against New Zealand and West Indies this summer, but admits his immediate focus is simply staying fit and getting more cricket under his belt.

"I just want to play as much cricket for Victoria," Pattinson said of his goals for the summer.

"At the moment, I really want to get some confidence in my bowling by playing state cricket and then see where it takes me.

"I’m definitely strong enough. I just need to get the performances on the board to warrant selection."