He's grown from a teenager into a man, and spinner Ashton Agar is confident he now boasts the arsenal and mental strength needed to forge a successful Test career.
Agar was just 19 when he made a shock Test debut in the 2013 Ashes series in England, scoring a memorable 98 after coming in at No.11.
But he was dumped from the team one match later and has been in the Test wilderness ever since.
Agar narrowly missed out on earning a Test recall for the recent win over Pakistan at the SCG but will get another chance to force his way into the XI after being picked for the upcoming four-Test tour of India.
Agar was one of four specialist spinners in the 16-man squad, along with bolter Mitchell Swepson, Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The left-hander knows he faces stiff competition to play, with Lyon and O'Keefe in the box seat to form a dual spin attack.
But Agar's confident he will be able to produce the goods if chosen, saying he has matured greatly since his Test debut.
"I was 19 when that happened and probably didn't realise the significance of what it actually was," Agar said.
"But I think I'm in a better place to go into a Test series now than I was when I was 19, or even the last couple of years.
"Just to have a few games under my belt ... and not to be as flustered or as fazed by things that might happen.
"I think I've matured a lot as a player, both with my skills and mentally. So that holds me in good stead going into a tour like this."
Agar has been to India about six times for various cricket tours and is confident he'll can thrive in the spin-friendly conditions.
"It's just being patient, and bowling a bit quicker and into the wicket works at times," Agar said.
"You've got to be yourself.
"I need to do things my way. I need to be the best version of myself, not try to be a poor man's version of someone else who has done well over there."
