Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns has defended his panel's contentious decision to summon Marcus Stoinis to India, saying the uncapped allrounder's bowling got him over the line ahead of Moises Henriques.
Stoinis will link up with Australia's Test squad for the first time in his career, after Mitch Marsh's shoulder injury, but is no certainty to debut next Thursday, when the four-Test series continues in Ranchi.
Glenn Maxwell and Usman Khawaja are considered the frontrunners to claim the spot in the XI vacated by Marsh, who has returned home.
Both Hohns and Stoinis have declared the national team newcomers is ready for the rigours of Test cricket, despite the fact he's managed just 172 runs at an average of 15.63 in the current Sheffield Shield season.
Hohns was happy to overlook those numbers. The chief selector instead pointed to Stoinis' medium-pacers, which have captured eight wickets at 39.50 this Shield season, and also the 27-year-old's form during an Australia A tour of India in 2015.
"We went for the better bowling option ... Moises is probably not bowling as much as we would like him to," Hohns said, noting Henriques and 23-year-old Jack Wildermuth were also considered.
"During Australia A here a couple of years ago he (Stoinis) performed very well."
Stoinis' sensational maiden ODI ton, which came in Auckland earlier this year, was also a factor in his call-up.
"What he showed there was his ability to perform under extreme pressure. That was obviously taken into account, albeit it was a different form of the game," Hohns said.
"That was very impressive."
Stoinis, who five years ago shifted from Perth to play grade cricket in Melbourne in a bid to reignite his sputtering career after being discarded by Western Australia, suggested his recent first-class form was not indicative of what he could produce in the baggy green.
"I feel fine, there's no such thing as form really," he said.
"I went in and made a (one-day) hundred for Australia and hadn't made many runs before that.
"It's an exciting opportunity.
"Every young cricketer dreams of making a Test debut but in a series like this, in India where it's 1-1, and you've got a really good chance to step up (would be extra special)."
Stoinis broke all manner of records in his unbeaten knock of 146 against New Zealand at Eden Park, belting 11 sixes to almost snatch a come-from-behind victory. Black Caps coach Mike Hesson likened him to Superman after the knock.
Hohns noted Stoinis was in the mix to debut but it would depend on the pitch in Ranchi, which is hosting a Test for the first time.
"We've got several options there," Hohns said.
"It can certainly be a specialist batsman (Khawaja).
"We may go for a spinning allrounder (Maxwell or Ashton Agar)."
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