Matthew Wade reckons he's proven it: he's the man for Australia's Test team.
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Wade has reinforced his case to retain his Test spot with consecutive half-centuries while steering Tasmania to a Sheffield Shield win against Victoria.
The left-hander appears a lock for Australia's first Test against Pakistan starting November 21 in Brisbane.
"I am confident I have done enough to play in the first Test match with what I achieved in England," he told reporters after his 57 not out and top-score of 69 in the first innings against the Vics.
"But if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.
"I certainly haven't put any extra pressure on myself at the start of the season to go out and prove that I'm the man to get picked.
"I feel I have done enough over a long period of time now."
In the Ashes, Wade scored two centuries and averaged 33.70 - he averages 29.8 over 27 Tests.
SA skipper Travis Head scored 109 against a strong NSW bowling attack in Adelaide on Saturday and will soon play in Perth in what has effectively become a bat-off for a Test berth.
Head, who was dropped from the Test team after making 191 runs at 27.28 in four Ashes Tests, is among an Australia A team to play Pakistan in a tour game from November 11.
He, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns and Marcus Harris will all press their claims for the Aussie A side.
Burns kept his name in front of selectors with an impressive 76 for Queensland while the stage was set for teammate Usman Khawaja to stake a Test claim as he remained unbeaten on 30 as the Bulls cruised to 1-167 in reply to Western Australia's 332 first dig in their Shield clash at the Gabba.
Not that Wade was bothered by the Test selection debate.
"I don't get consumed by what goes on at this time of the year before a Test series any more," he said.
"There's so much media speculation when this guy gets runs and this guy doesn't. I don't get too caught up in it now."
Victorian opener Harris, the Test incumbent opening partner of David Warner, made 60 and 13 against Tasmania.
But his teammate Will Pucovski failed with scores of three and seven.
Australian Associated Press
