Mitch Swepson celebrated his first international match on home soil by capturing the prized scalp of Virat Kohli and now the legspinner is targeting bigger and better things as he edges closer to a Test debut.
Swepson has learned the value of not looking too far ahead during 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic scuppered Australia's Test tour of Bangladesh in June, when the tweaker would likely have donned the baggy green.
More recently, Swepson snared a competition-best 23 wickets at 21 during the Sheffield Shield hub then was set to have some downtime at home in Brisbane.
The coronavirus cluster in Adelaide meant the 27-year-old instead hastily packed his bags and headed to Sydney, ensuring he could bowl in the nets rather than quarantine at home before linking with the Australia A squad.
Swepson was in red-ball mode while preparing to play alongside Tim Paine in a tour game that starts at Drummoyne Oval on Sunday, only to be told on Thursday that he needs to rush to Canberra for the following night's Twenty20 against India.
"It was a pretty whirlwind 24 hours ... quite exciting," he told reporters.
"My first three balls weren't great.
"So to get a wicket on the fourth, and especially Virat's wicket, was a bit of a pressure release.
"That overexcitement, added with the pressure of wanting to do really well and perform on the international stage, throw in a couple of nerves ... overall quite disappointed with the way I bowled."
Swepson's only other taste of international cricket was a T20, two-and-a-half years ago in Birmingham.
The original plan was for the Queenslander to play the first of two Australia A games in Sydney then head to Adelaide with the Test squad.
"Now I'm in this white-ball squad it throws a bit of a spanner in the works because there's obviously an Aussie A game starting tomorrow," the spinner said.
"I'd love to play in one of those (tour) games. The more overs out in the middle I can get, the better.
"I feel like I'm bowling at my best.
"If it (a Test debut) comes this summer, I'll be over the moon. If not, I'll keep plugging away."
