John Hastings surprises with new ball in Test debut

THE national selectors clearly know something that Victoria doesn't. Twice recently John Hastings has opening the bowling against South Africa.

THE national selectors clearly know something that Victoria doesn't.

Twice in the space of a few weeks John Hastings has opening the bowling against South Africa.

The first time was for Australia A in the lead-up to the Test series and the second time came in Perth yesterday when he took the new ball on the opening morning of the third Test against South Africa.

This is more often than he has opened the bowling for Victoria in his entire Sheffield Shield career.

Even when Test heavyweights Peter Siddle and James Pattinson are missing, the Vics find every excuse not to give Hastings the new ball.

So it was unusual watching him bowl the second over of a Test match in front of a comfortable and appreciative WACA Ground crowd.

"There was a fair bit of a breeze today and pushing up into it they needed someone to do a job there to keep it tight from one end and let the big hairy quicks come down from the other end," said Hastings.

Given he is an unspectacular, hard-working cricketer, few would have expected Hastings to ever pull on a baggy green cap, which was presented to him yesterday by Adam Gilchrist.

"It was a pretty special moment. I didnt have too much time to think about it. I probably found out 15 or 20 minutes before the warm-up," said Hastings, one of the many New South Welshmen forced to look further afield for an opportunity.

"It definitely is a boyhood dream (to wear the baggy green). Anyone who gets one would be lying to say it wasn't."

Hastings, 27, has played 11 one-day games for Australia as a bowling all-rounder and is best served by his lack of pace in the shorter forms of the game, with clever slower balls, particularly a slower bouncer.

From a safe distance he did not look like an international opening bowler yesterday but people have been underestimating him for the whole of his career.

Certainly Hashim Amla did in the first over after lunch when he flicked a delivery straight to Ed Cowan at mid-wicket, who made an inexcusable mess of a simple catch, costing Hastings his first Test scalp.

It came a short time later when AB de Villiers drove at a fine outswinger to be comfortably caught by Michael Clarke at first slip.

"It was a good feeling to get one early," Hastings said.

"I was pretty nervous to start with actually. I wasn't into a rhythm at all for the first eight or 10 overs.

"I had a good bowl during the lunch break and ironed a few things out and put all the nerves behind me. To get the wicket of AB was really nice."

Hastings is obviously more dangerous than he looks and has picked up a yard of pace since a serious should injury kept him out for all of last season.

In 22 Shield matches he has taken 85 wickets at a cost of just 22 apiece and averages a handy 27 with the bat.