Usman Khawaja hopes his drought-breaking 171 not only books a ticket to South Africa for him but shows he can be a permanent fixture for Australia in all conditions.
Khawaja's second highest Test score at the SCG on Saturday was his first Ashes century, and alleviated a world of pressure off his shoulders after he had gone since November 2016 without a hundred.
It should secure the 31-year-old's spot at No.3 for the four Test tour of South Africa in March, after a difficult 12 months in which he was dropped in away series in both India and Bangladesh.
Crucially, Australia are due to face Pakistan in the UAE next spring and Khawaja has only played one of the last six Tests on the sub-continent.
But the Pakistan-born star said he hoped that had changed after his first century in Sydney.
"I love to be playing for Australia every single Test match and every single chance I get," Khawaja said.
"Obviously it hasn't gone that way over the past year.
"All I can do is try and go out there and score runs for my team and do well in the top order."
The SCG was no sub-continental bunion burner on Saturday, but the traditional turning pitch did offer some assistance to tweaker Moeen Ali and debutant legspinner Mason Crane.
Renowned for his struggles against spin, Khawaja was patient and dogged for the most part but showed signs of his attacking best whenever Ali went too full or too wide.
He brought up his 50 on Friday when he jumped down the deck and hit the off-spinner back over his head for six.
On resumption on Saturday he cut him to bring up his century then later took him for two fours in one over to bring up his 150.
"I've had a lot of good innings at the SCG when I used to play there (in Sheffield Shield) on similar turning wickets," Khawaja said.
"Also overseas in England a couple of times on turning decks.
"I always knew I could score runs on these sorts of wickets."
Averaging just 27 in the first four Tests of this summer, Khawaja rode his luck as he survived an lbw chance from a Crane no-ball on 132 and a number of other close chances.
The rookie eventually had him stumped when he threw one wide midway through the day, but not before Khawaja had impressed captain Steve Smith in a 188-run third-wicket partnership.
"That wicket was turning and, he used his feet really well," Smith told Channel Nine.
"He had really good plans and stuck to them. That is the key.
"You have to do it for long periods of time, you can't get complacent on wickets that are spinning."
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