McKay thrilled by Test squad call-up

Clint McKay's first wickets in international cricket were Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, so he would be at home bowling against the West Indies in the second Test, in Adelaide starting Friday.

But the Victorian fast bowler admits his call-up to the Australian Test squad, to replace the injured Ben Hilfenhaus, was a shock.

"There's plenty of bowlers around at the moment, Stuart Clark has been a great stalwart of Australian cricket as well," McKay said on Tuesday.

"I didn't realise there were any injury concerns at all, so I didn't think there was a place for anyone really, let alone me."

McKay expects to be 12th man in Adelaide, as NSW left-armer Doug Bollinger is the strong favourite to replace Hilfenhaus, but said the chance to mix and train with the Test players would be beneficial.

"It's going to be a great experience just to be involved with those guys like Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke and the rest of the Australian side," he said.

"It will be a great thrill and a great learning opportunity for me to be a part of and hopefully I can learn and someday I can make my (Test) debut for Australia."

McKay leaves for Adelaide with more confidence than he did when drafted in to the national one-day squad a month ago, when the only players he knew were his Victorian teammates.

But the right-arm quick, 26, quickly won acceptance from his Australian teammates when he claimed 3-59 on debut in Hyderabad, when he removed Tendulkar in full flight and bowled well at the close to help clinch a narrow Australian win.

McKay found that experience exhilarating, but attributed his emergence the past year to improved performances in domestic ranks, which proved he belonged.

"(I am) a lot more confident in my own ability, knowing I can compete against the guys who are in first-class cricket and even when the Australian guys do come down as well," he said.