A automatic selection in Australia's limited-overs teams, James Faulkner is desperate to force his way back in Test reckoning
I don't want to be a one-Test wonder: Faulkner
James Faulkner can live with the nickname "the Finisher" but there's one tag he's desperate to lose.
Faulkner, the man of the match in the World Cup final last year and Australia's leading wicket-taker at last month's World T20 in India, is a certain starter in the coloured clothing for his country.
Now he wants to return to the creams and pull on the Baggy Green again after playing in his lone Test in the fifth Test of the 2013 Ashes series.
"I'm a 'one-Test wonder' at the moment," Faulkner told cricket.com.au in India. "I want to play Test cricket."
One of the major hurdles facing Faulkner is the double-edged sword of representing Australia during a jam-packed domestic schedule.
With the back-half of the Australian summer dedicated to limited-overs internationals and often reciprocal tours to other Southern Hemisphere nations, Faulkner has had limited opportunities to play first-class cricket since his sole Test.
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In the past three Sheffield Shield seasons, the Tasmanian has played eight matches out of a possible 30, all in November before the KFC Big Bash League begins in late December.
It's why Cricket Australia has jumped at the chance to include the allrounder in the Australia A program where possible and have him play in England's county championship, like he did with Lancashire last winter.
Faulkner played seven matches for Lancashire in Division Two, taking 23 wickets at 21 and chipping in with 310 runs, helping them earn promotion back to the top flight.
Most importantly, he posted his maiden first-class century – 121 against Surrey in his first innings for the county.
"It was a massive learning experience," Faulkner said of his time with Lancashire.
"I definitely enjoyed playing with the Dukes (cricket ball) over there. It was tough conditions, a lot different to back home.
"We had everything where I was playing at Lancashire; there was reverse (swing), there was spin, and all the other grounds there was a lot of swing and seam."
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Fellow allrounder Glenn Maxwell is in a similar position to Faulkner.
Maxwell has played three Tests – each abroad where the conditions suit his off-spin – but struggles to get a game in the Sheffield Shield because he, like Faulkner, is an integral part of Australia's one-day and T20 teams.
And what makes it more difficult when the pair do return to the Shield side is toning down the aggressive stroke play that is fundamental in the short-form formats.
"I'm sure one thing Maxi (Maxwell) struggles with is as well, is we play so much white-ball cricket that we go back to four-day cricket and we're not as patient as all the other players," Faulkner said.
"I don't know how to explain it, but you have these little flicks in your mid where you think you can take on someone and the next thing you know you're sitting on your backside (dismissed) after you hit him for a couple of boundaries.
"We have those little instances that we need to improve on."
Image Id: ~/media/5FA91FEDF2C84A148B108296E58DC446 Image Caption: Faulkner pulls on his Baggy Green at The Oval in 2013 // GettyIn the two and a half years since Faulkner's one-off Test at The Oval, Australia's premier five-day allrounder Shane Watson has retired from international cricket and has been replaced by Western Australian Mitchell Marsh.
Marsh, Faulkner and Maxwell all feature in Australia's first-choice ODI XI, and while they are all competing for the one Test spot, there is no animosity between the trio.
In fact, it's the exact opposite.
"I can guarantee, unless I'm getting the wrong vibe, there's no malice or none of that sort of stuff," Faulkner said.
"At the end of the day, if Maxi is bowling to me or I'm bowling to him we're helping each other, same with Mitch (Marsh).
"We're all helping each other because all three of us can play in the same one-day and T20 team.
"It's just a matter of the Test spot and Mitch has got that spot.
"We're all good mates and we get on with the business."
While Faulkner's next six months looks set to be filled with white-ball cricket in the Indian Premier League, a limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka and an ODI series in South Africa, he knows what it's going to take to get back into the Test XI.
"I just need to get some big scores and get wickets," he said.
"That's the only way you can force your way back in.
"Whether that's batting five, six, seven, eight, wherever it is I need to get runs.
"And bowling, it's always been stock standard with me, ever since I started.
"I've always had an opportunity to bowl at any stage.
"If I was to do one or the other it's about getting more four-day runs, so I'll have to start playing some four-day cricket."