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Ultimate allrounder Abbott edges closer to Test call-up

An 'exceptional' talent with bat, ball and in the field, Sean Abbott is turning heads ahead of Australia’s home summer

Sean Abbott is one of the few people in Australia who has a positive story to tell from hotel quarantine.

Returning from the limited-overs tour to England in September as one of the eight Aussies who were not UAE-bound for the Indian Premier League, Abbott was determined to make the most of his mandatory two weeks in isolation

Put up in the new Adelaide Oval hotel and lucky enough to have a special government exemption to train at the iconic venue, Abbott and his teammates were fortunate to be granted much more freedom than other returning travellers this year.

It was a blessing that Abbott viewed as a golden opportunity.

"We were just lucky we had the whole coaching staff and there were only eight or 10 of us there," Abbott told cricket.com.au.

"I got to face 'Starcy' (Mitchell Starc) and Riley Meredith every session, and then got to bowl to the best batters in the country for two weeks straight.

"I'm pretty fortunate to have that many coaches and world-class facilities for two weeks. You'd find it hard not to get better in that environment."

Abbott defies Shield run fest to take six against WA

Nathan Lyon was partnered up with Abbott in a group of four (two support staff members rounded out their quartet) that was escorted by car to and from the training facility, and the Test spinner says the allrounder trained the house down.

At one stage, the Aussies roughed up one of the Adelaide Oval training pitches to resemble a turning track they may encounter on the subcontinent.

"… and 'JL' (Langer) came in and said, "You're playing a Test match in India – just survive'," Abbott recalled.

"It was just one of those two-week periods that I was lucky to get, being in a strange situation where we had to be locked up with really good training facilities.

"We had a lot of time on our hands so there was no excuse not to rip in."

Even if he had not already caught the eye of national selectors, his barnstorming start to the Marsh Sheffield Shield season surely has.

Abbott's dominant skill is his bowling, and his 14 wickets at 17.92 (the second most among fast bowlers this season) have revealed him as one of this season’s most effective pacemen on what have been mainly flat Adelaide pitches.

His strike-rate of 39.7 is the highest of any bowler in the competition who has taken at least five wickets.

Abbott stakes his allrounder claim with maiden first-class ton

The icing on the cake was a maiden first-class century on Tuesday, the right-hander creaming six large leg-side sixes in an unbeaten 102 against Tasmania. It saw the Blues recover from losing 3-3 in their second innings as he and Mitchell Starc put on a match-winning 189-run stand.

Having faced 116 balls for his ton and already bowled 21.1 overs in Tasmania’s first innings, Abbott then took flight from third slip to take a hanger of a catch late on day three to give NSW a crucial wicket before stumps.

"He's extremely hungry at the moment," Lyon says.

"He's digging deeper than I've ever seen and he's starting to have that belief that he can go to that next level and stay at that next level, which is incredible.

"We were forever talking in the car (during quarantine) just about having that belief and digging deep. He's got all the belief in the world.

"He's got all the talent in the world. He's one of the guys in Australian cricket that can do all three (skill) areas at (an) exceptional standard.

"The bowling is exceptional, he's one of the best fielders in the country and his batting has improved out of sight.

"He's a very team focused player and he'll run in and give you everything with the ball.

"I'm a massive fan of Sean and he's starting to get his reward, which is really exciting."

The irony of Abbott's compelling case for inclusion in Australia's extended Test squad is that he would not have been able to make it if his short-form skills had been rated more highly 11 months ago.

Back in December, Abbott attracted no bids in the IPL auction despite being on the fringes of Australia's limited-overs teams and having become one of the more prolific wicket takers in the KFC BBL.

Had he been picked up, Abbott reckons he would likely be stuck in a hotel room in the UAE and struggling to get a game behind the big-ticket international stars.

"Most IPL teams have got great overseas players," he said. "I wouldn't have played a lot of games if I did go over."

Abbott singles out Blues bowling coach Andre Adams as a key factor in his improvement as a first-class bowler, while he has also benefited from the knowledge imparted from the state's star bowling quartet of Starc, Lyon, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Their presence in the Test team, plus Victorian James Pattinson, means he may be waiting a while yet for a Baggy Green even if he does win selection this week in the wider Test group to face India.

But given his thirst for constant improvement, few would discount the lion-hearted right-armer.

"It's only been the last 18 months, two years, where my red-ball form has come along. I've grown a bit as a bowler, " said Abbott, who is looking to add to his five international white-ball games in the upcoming one-day and T20 series against India.

"It's not that I've worked harder or any more on it, being nudged in the right directions by the people around me and the conversations with the other bowlers and Andre (have helped).

"We're pretty blessed with the Aussies we have (at NSW), they love coming back and giving their time to help. They take us under their wings a bit and we're pretty fortunate in that.

"I would dearly love to play Test cricket – it's a dream – but there's a pretty important white ball series against India first that we need to be switched on for first."