Peter Siddle says he's shocked to be overlooked by Australian selectors but is refusing to kick stones with a baggy green recall dangling so tantalisingly close.
Despite a superb performance in his last Test outing, Siddle was passed over for the first Test at the Gabba and his demotion will be Victoria's gain.
After being released from 12th man duties with the Australian side, he has been made available for Victoria's Sheffield Shield clash with NSW starting on Friday at the SCG.
The veteran made the most of his last Test appearance, taking six wickets in the final Ashes Test at The Oval in August, but was overlooked for Josh Hazlewood for the series opener against New Zealand.
He has been tasked with going back to Shield cricket and ensuring he is in top form should an opportunity arise for next week's second Test at the WACA.
While expressing "a bit of a shock" at his non-selection, he said he still felt like he was on the cusp of the team.
"After coming back in and waiting so long to get that opportunity again and do so well makes it a bit hard to take this time round," Siddle told Fox Sports.
"But I could be a lot further away from the team than I am at the moment so it's not all bad."
A baggy green is also on the mind of NSW batsman Ryan Carters who has passed up the opportunity to assume the wicketkeeping role in the pursuit of further big scores.
Coming off a double century for the Cricket Australia XI at Blacktown last week, Carters gets a further chance to press his representative claims at the SCG.
Carters has worn the gloves sporadically in the past - in his Shield debut and in the Big Bash League - but knocked back the chance to keep wickets full-time following Peter Nevill's elevation to the Test team.
"(Opening the batting) is what I see as my best skill and a way I can help NSW win the Sheffield Shield," Carters said on Thursday.
"And if that results in Test selection at some stage, then that'd be a dream come true."
NSW squad: Moises Henriques (capt), Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Ed Cowan, Josh Lalor, Jay Lenton, Nic Maddinson, Stephen O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Will Somerville.
Victoria squad: Matthew Wade (capt), Fawad Ahmed, Scott Boland, Dan Christian, Travis Dean, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Glenn Maxwell, Rob Quiney, Peter Siddle, Marcus Stoinis.
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