I never thought I’d play Test cricket.

For me, making the Australian one-day side was a realistic goal and when T20 cricket started to emerge I thought making either of those two teams was something I could aim for.

But everything changed during that Australian summer of 2009–10. So much went right for me. I was riding a wave of momentum; I felt like I was in the best form of my life and I’d never enjoyed playing cricket more. Perhaps, most importantly though, I felt like we were finding ways to manage my knee.

As that summer progressed I started to hear a bit of talk about a possible Test debut for me down the track and that’s really when I started to think it might be possible. It wasn’t going to be easy because the Test team was in excellent form with series wins against Pakistan and the West Indies that same summer. Mitch Johnson, Peter Siddle, Dougie Bollinger, Shane Watson and Ben Hilfenhaus were all getting the job done with the ball, so I was still a fair way down the pecking order.

With a strong Aussie summer under my belt and some decent form in the one-dayers against the Kiwis in New Zealand I was confident in my ability to play Test cricket if given the chance. Still, it came as a huge surprise to me when I was told I had been picked in the side to play the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington.

It was an odd feeling; I knew I’d put myself in a good position to get picked, but I hadn’t dared allow myself to think that it could happen. When it did happen I was absolutely blown away.

I knew I was bowling well and I was going on a Test tour, but I just wanted to get over there and really have a crack at the one-day series. I certainly didn’t have any expectations of breaking into the Test side—given my age and injury history.

But suddenly there it was right in front of me: the baggy green cap that so many Aussie kids dream of. While my one-day debut for Australia happened so fast that none of my family were there to watch, I got the life-changing news that I would play my first Test match for my country enough in advance that some important people could share the experience with me. Dad, Gav and Cherie were as excited as I was—Dad probably even more so—when I told them I’d been picked and they all hopped on a plane to come over and share what was going to be a huge moment in my life.

Surprise, surprise, I was actually under a bit of an injury cloud going into that Test. I’d carried a side strain through the last couple of matches in the one-day series and actually missed a game because of it.

The selectors must have been reasonably concerned over my ability to come up for the Test because they flew South Aussie quick Peter George over as cover. But I knew my body pretty well by then and I was confident I’d be fit. I’d had a few side strains over the journey, I knew what it felt like to have a bad one, and this wasn’t going to be enough to stop me making my Test debut. That baggy green was right there in front of me and there was absolutely no way I was going to allow anyone else to jump in front of me!

I wouldn’t have put my hand up if I thought I was in any danger of breaking down, but I bowled a few overs without too much discomfort, then pulled up pretty well.

I actually slept really well the night before the first Test. Even though I was hugely excited to be making my Test debut I think the fact that I was older and had been around the one-day side helped me relax a bit. But that all changed when I woke up the morning of the match and the nerves kicked in. Still, it was an amazing feeling heading to the ground knowing I was about to represent my country in a Test match.

Dad, Gav and Cherie had arrived in Wellington in plenty of time, but they didn’t see me receive my baggy green.

I told them all to get to the ground nice and early so they could get a good spot. They did their part and were there well ahead of time, but the security guards at the gate wouldn’t let them in! They tried to explain the situation, but the guards weren’t having it.

They went around to the administration building and told their story and an official overheard them talking and told them to follow him inside. They were taken up a bunch of stairs and came out in a dining room where Dad reckons he saw the team break up after the presentation and walk off the ground. It was disappointing they got so close and couldn’t be there for such a huge moment in my life, but I appreciated the effort!

Ricky Ponting presented me with my baggy green. I’d idolised Punter growing up and it’s hard to describe just what it meant to me to be standing there and receiving that famous cap from him.

I used to see guys getting their baggy greens on the field before a Test on the television and think how good a feeling that must be. I always imagined it would be amazing, and it was, but it was also quite a surreal experience too. It had been a huge deal for me to receive my first red South Australian cap and then my maroon Queensland cap—I cherished and loved those caps and guarded them with my life—but to be handed a baggy green was another step up.

Ricky said a few kind words and told me that what I was about to receive was the ultimate goal of every person playing cricket in Australia. He told me that I was part of an exclusive club now and explained how important it was that I look after my baggy green.

I was really humbled to hear those words. He was really encouraging as well. He said that I was in that position for a reason and that I shouldn’t change what I’d been doing to get myself there. He wanted me to enjoy the moment and my first Test, which he hoped was the first of many to come.

Anyone who is privileged enough to earn a baggy green will tell you what an honour it is, but at my age, with so many years of cricket behind me, it really floored me.

I’d worked hard for a long time—I’d tripped over my own feet plenty of times along the way—and I’d finally earned the right to play alongside the best players in the country. It was a dream come true and a moment I’ll always cherish.

Punter won the toss and chose to bat, which wasn’t a bad thing as far as I was concerned because it allowed me to sit back and get a bit of a feel for the game. It also allowed me to take in my first experience of a Test dressing-room. I’d played enough first-class cricket to be able to keep the nerves under control, but there’s no doubt I was really excited. Despite having a fair bit of experience, I didn’t know a lot of the guys in the side at the time all that well, so I was keen to get to know them a bit as blokes as well as cricketers.

I hit it off with Mitch Johnson right off the bat and we’ve been good mates ever since. I’d played in a few junior squads with Nathan Hauritz and Dougie Bollinger, and knew a few of the guys a bit from the one-day side. But I was pretty keen to really establish stronger relationships with all the boys.

The top order put on a solid start, but it was the partnership between Michael Clarke and Marcus North that really set us up. Pup came in when we were 3–115 and was still there at stumps on day one with a century to his name. He went on to score 168 in one of the great batting performances I’ve seen, with North making a ton of his own before Punter declared at 5–459.

Michael had been going through a highly publicised relationship break-up with Lara Bingle at the time and had flown back to Australia the week of the Test. It was a big decision for him to fly home given the level of media scrutiny he was under, but the character and mental toughness he showed during what was a really difficult time was amazing.

To have something so personal play out in the media would test the best of us, but his ability to show absolute focus on the task at hand was unbelievable. I was still getting to know Michael at that stage, but I really respected the way he handled himself during that period. I’ve never had to deal with that sort of media focus and, for me, the way he was able to come through it and perform said a lot about the character of the man.

I really like to watch as many balls as I can when we’re batting and that’s probably been the case for as far back as I can remember. Obviously, I like to see how my teammates are going, but I always found it really helpful to watch and get a feel for what opposition bowlers are doing and how the wicket’s playing.

I hadn’t actually played on Basin Reserve before I made my Test debut there. I’d had a brief bowl out in the middle, but with the conditions being a bit damp we could only bowl off a short run, which wasn’t an ideal preparation.

I spent a fair part of our first innings thinking about how I was going to bowl into the wind if I had to because it was pretty ferocious. They don’t call it ‘Windy Wellington’ for nothing; I even saw a heavy roller get pushed onto the ground, the wind was that fierce! Dealing with the conditions wouldn’t be easy for any of us, but when the time came I was mostly able to shut out those concerns and focus in on the basics. I just wanted to land the first ball somewhere near the mark and get through the first over, then try to build some momentum.

The Test team had obviously had a really good summer—it really struck me how much their performance with the bat reminded me of the golden era under Steve Waugh. The batsmen had done their part and posted a big score and now the bowlers had to do their bit and pile on the pressure with the ball.

My baggy green had barely left my head since I had received it and I decided it would be my hat of choice in the field. It’s a bit of an unwritten rule that everyone wears it for the first hour or so of the first session anyway, but I decided that for as long as I played Test cricket I’d wear that beautiful green cap whenever I fielded.

The Australian summer has got the better of me a few times since and I’ve donned the wide-brimmed floppy hat to keep the sun off, but it could have been 50°C that first day in Wellington and I still would have worn my baggy green. Fortunately, it was actually quite cool that day.

I wasn’t expecting to open the bowling with Doug Bollinger and Mitch Johnson bowling as well as they were, but Ricky threw me the new ball. I would be running straight into the teeth of what felt like a full-strength cyclone.

Dougie had opened at the other end and trapped BJ Watling in front with his fifth ball, so we were up and about. My goal was to keep the pressure on and bowl a maiden. Tim McIntosh was on strike and I managed to get my first ball in Test cricket through to Brad Haddin behind the stumps, which was a bit of a relief. My next ball was a wide, but that was the only score I conceded so I was pretty happy with that.

I felt like I bowled reasonably well those first few overs and my figures weren’t too bad without getting a wicket. I wasn’t too tense—generally I’m more nervous going in to bat than going in to bowl—and I had found a reasonable rhythm.

Ricky gave me a lot of confidence; if something wasn’t working he’d have a chat and give me some advice or we’d try something a bit different. I always found him very easy to communicate with; he was always approachable and happy to hear what I had to say.

I was obviously pretty keen to break through for my first Test wicket, but I had Ricky and a few of the more senior guys in my ear telling me to just concentrate on sticking to our plan for each batsman and not try to force something to happen. You can tend to ‘over-attack’ when you’re desperate for a wicket and that’s generally when things can go pear-shaped.

I just wanted to put the ball in the right spots and push it through to the keeper. I bowled 5 overs in my first spell, which included a couple of maidens, but I couldn’t make the breakthrough I wanted.

Thankfully I didn’t have to wait too long, though. McIntosh had faced 57 balls for his 9 runs when he attempted to drive the fourth ball of my seventh over of the day and edged it to gully where Mike Hussey took a sharp catch. It was all a bit of a blur as the boys came from all over the ground to shake my hand and slap me on the back, but I certainly remember it being a massive relief to have a wicket on the board.

Dougie struck again to have the Kiwis in trouble at 4–44, but Martin Guptill and Daniel Vettori managed to put on a decent partnership that saw them bat through until stumps. We were keen to break that partnership early on the third day and I was really happy when I managed to coax an edge from Vettori in the first over of the day with Punter taking a sharp catch at second slip. I didn’t manage another wicket, but Dougie and Mitch ripped through the line-up to have them all out for 157.

There was a fair bit of discussion over whether Punter would enforce the follow-on because they hadn’t worked out as well as he’d liked a few times in the past. We hadn’t bowled that many overs and the conditions were quite cool, so the bowlers were happy to have another crack. I think we all wanted to try to press home the advantage and get the win in the bag. Ricky asked me how I was feeling, but I’d barely felt the side strain that bothered me before the match, so I was ready to go.

We hoped that if we bowled well enough we might be able to finish the game that day, but they batted a lot better. After a confidence-boosting start, I was really happy with the way I was able to bowl in the second innings and finished with figures of 4–77. As pleased as I was, I was kicking myself at one point when I dropped Daryl Tuffey off my own bowling to miss out on what would have been a very memorable five-for.

New Zealand did well to make us bat again on the last day, but Phil Hughes and Simon Katich opened and made the 106 runs necessary before lunch. It was an amazing feeling and something I’ll never forget. I’d sung ‘Under the Southern Cross I stand’ with the boys after one-day series wins against Pakistan and the West Indies, but it seemed even more special as part of the Test team to belt out that brilliant song.

It was a massive milestone in my career, but it wasn’t actually a huge celebration for me. While the side strain, or the knee for that matter, hadn’t bothered me too much during the game, we only had a short turnaround before the second Test in Hamilton. I’d had a taste of Test cricket and I wanted to make absolutely sure I was ready to go again. I had a couple of beers with the boys in the dressing-room after the game, but I didn’t go overboard that night.

Cherie and Gav had to fly home, but Dad stayed on to catch up with me. I met Dad in the bar downstairs at the team hotel and it was great to chat about the past few days.

Brad Haddin came down and I introduced Dad to him. There was a team dinner on, but I wasn’t sure whether family members were allowed so I hadn’t asked Dad if he wanted to come along. He reckoned he was more than happy to go and find himself a feed at any of the many pubs around the place. Hadds asked him what he was doing for dinner and Dad told him he was going to wander off and find somewhere to eat, but Hadds wasn’t having any of that … ‘Bullshit!’ he said. ‘You’re having dinner with us.’

Dad didn’t want to impose, but Dougie came down around then and he insisted that he come as well. I still wasn’t sure what the protocol was, so when Ricky came down I had a quiet word and asked him how it went. Ricky’s response was to walk straight over to Dad, introduce himself and tell him that he was coming to dinner with the team.

So there was my dad, with Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson to his left and Dougie Bollinger to his right … he had the time of his life and I was so grateful for the way that the boys welcomed him and showed him a good time. It was a really special evening for me and Dad. And Dad was thrilled.

Gav wasn’t too impressed, though, when Dad called him the next day to tell him he’d been rubbing shoulders with the entire Australian Test team.

Even though I had my baggy green and I’d done reasonably well in my Test debut, I told myself that I wouldn’t consider myself to be a genuine Test player until I’d played ten Test matches—same as when I first made the one-day side.

I was determined not to be a one-Test wonder; having waited so long I wanted to play as much Test cricket as I possibly could while the opportunity was there in front of me.

I didn’t think I was actually going to be in a position to play a second Test because I was certain the plane from Wellington to Hamilton wasn’t going to make it. The airport had been closed because of high winds and had only reopened shortly before our flight took off. It was only a small twin-propeller aircraft and it really struggled. It’s only about a 48-minute flight to Hamilton and I thought I was going to die for about 45 minutes of it. It was so bumpy; it was ridiculous.

I enjoy flying—I would have loved to have been a pilot if I was better at maths and physics at school—but that was the flight from hell. A few of the boys were using the vomit bags for most of the flight, but I was too scared to throw up. I nearly ripped the headrest in front of me off, I was hanging on so tight.

I didn’t bat in Wellington. I was listed at No 11, which is a fair whack to the pride of any bowler. I was moved up to No 10 in Hamilton with Dougie Bollinger behind me, which is probably just as well because I think I would have retired immediately if Bollinger had gone in ahead of me!

We had another good win and celebrated taking out the series in fine style. I flew straight out to India from New Zealand for my second stint with the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League. It was a long way to travel in one hit, but I appreciated the time to sit back and think about the past couple of months.

A lot had happened, most of it extremely positive, and I was grateful to have experienced it, but I promised myself I would leave no stone unturned in making sure this was the start of something bigger and not just that one great summer when I played for Australia.