'Curious' Zampa delighted by red-ball return

It had been 1095 days since Adam Zampa had even held a red ball and the leg-spinner admits he was "curious" as to how his skills would stack up in the longer format.

By virtue of the pandemic and Australia's hectic limited-overs schedule that included back-to-back T20 World Cups, it had been almost three years to the day since the nation's premier white-ball spinner had stepped out in non-coloured clothing for a cricket match.

Not even in club cricket had Zampa bowled with a red ball until his first-class return against Victoria on Thursday at the Junction Oval.

While his move back to NSW from South Australia at the end of the 2019-20 season was aimed at chasing more opportunities to play in the Marsh Sheffield Shield competition to push his Test ambitions, the fact that his previous red-ball match was for the Redbacks in December 2019 highlights how in demand his shorter format skills have become.

The 30-year-old still harbours that desire to represent Australia in the Test arena and Thursday's Shield return was as much about proving to himself than national selectors that he still had the guile and the stamina to succeed in the longest format of the game.

"A lot has happened since (my last first-class match), I've got a few fresh tattoos that I didn't have last time I bowled a red ball," grinned Zampa post play on day one.

"It's been really hard to get any red-ball cricket in the last few years with a taxing white-ball schedule and it was all about man management as well.

"We had 18 months to two years of bubbles, in and out of quarantine as well.

"Whenever I got a break, I took the break (but) life has changed a little bit now and I had this opportunity to play a little bit of red-ball cricket."

And as opposition batter Will Sutherland would testify at stumps following Zampa's 3-57 that helped roll the Vics for 209, he does indeed have skills to succeed in all three formats, impressing the Victorian allrounder so much so that it prompted his to declare that he hopes he "gets a chance in India" during next year's four-Test tour.

"I'm just pretty curious," said Zampa. "I feel like my game has progressed enough to bowl well with the red ball.

"I was excited actually. It's nice to be playing for the Blues again. I got presented with my cap over 10 years ago now, so it's been a long time coming.

"I went to South Australia for seven years but to be back playing with my native state is pretty exciting.

"I just wanted to come and play well and play whatever role suits this game.

"For me, it's about seeing whether or not I could get through the game.

"I've only played four-over games, 10-over games in terms of spells the last few years so for me it was a test of fitness, test of body.

"I've got through the first innings, obviously we'll have a bit of work to do in the second.

"But I've always pushed the fact that I'd love to play Test cricket for Australia. There's a series in India coming up so I wanted to show that I was keen and if the opportunity is there, I'd love to take it."

Having been pigeonholed as someone who doesn't necessarily spin the ball a long way, the most pleasing aspect for Zampa during day one of his red-ball comeback was that he was able to beat the bat on numerous occasions.

"The fact that I've ripped a couple past the bat, I've always been told that I'm not a big spinner of the ball," he said.

"Did I believe it or not? I don't know but at the moment my leg-spinner is coming out really well.

"I'm probably more willing to bowl my variations than I was when I was younger but the consistency of my leg-spinner and the fact that I got six to eight balls to rip past the outside edge, which is a positive sign.

"I definitely bowled a little bit slower than I have been bowling in white-ball cricket for a long time.

"I tried to vary my pace and I did try a bit still, but I felt like to build pressure I just concentrated on bowling good leggies and attacking the stumps; that was my main focus, to bowl good balls for as long as possible."

Zampa will get one more innings of bowling with the red ball to convince selectors he could be an effective option in India, with the KFC BBL break to come after this Sheffield Shield round and the Australia squad to depart for the subcontinent before the season resumes in February.