Australian selectors have seemingly paid more attention to the latter, because he is on track to play in the pink-ball Test.

The first of the two appearances – in last summer's series-opening Test against India – featured a return of 2-109 off almost 28 overs.

He was replaced for the next Test by Josh Hazlewood and did not return to the Test team that summer.

The second appearance – in the first match after his demotion in the Test pecking order was confirmed – came in the Sheffield Shield.

There he bowled Victoria to victory on the final day, on a pitch that had produced more than 950 runs in the first three days. He removed five of the top six batsmen as a shell-shocked South Australia were dismissed for 130.

"Siddle carried his team to victory. He was relentless, strong and continued to challenge the top of off-stump, occasionally going upstairs [with bouncers] to remind our boys he was in charge," said Darren Berry, who was at the helm of the Redbacks.

When Siddle returned to Australia's Test squad for the winter tours of the West Indies and England, it was not simply because of seniority.

In his position – 30 years old, with pace down from his peak  – he had to earn it. He had done so emphatically, taking 28 wickets at 20.25 across the rest of the shield season.

"I played on some flat wickets at Glenelg and Alice Springs, but to take wickets and perform and getting to a shield final was a great way to cap off a year after the disappointment of missing out," Siddle said this week.

"I went back to state cricket and performed well and took the most wickets after Christmas of the fast-bowlers in state cricket. I did the same when I went to England, took wickets again."

Siddle's success in his sole appearance during the Ashes, at the Oval, served as a reminder he could perform at international level.

When Berry began his coaching career, as an assistant with Victoria, a young Siddle impressed enough to put himself on the radar of national selectors.

While Berry admits he is not an unbiased observer when it comes to Siddle – both grew up in Gippsland in regional Victoria – he is proud to have seen the paceman "develop as a promising young kid with puppy fat into a highly respected leader of the Victorian attack".

"Siddle comes from a great country family and knows the value of hard work," said the former wicketkeeper, who has joined Sydney Sixers as an assistant coach.

"He's no-frills, no bullshit, just heart and soul. He'd be my first picked every time, as he will never let you down.

"When Ryan Harris retired abruptly before the Ashes in England, Siddle for me was the obvious spiritual leader of the attack to step up. He was sadly overlooked until the last Test, when it was too late. He showed the world again he's a class act."

If Siddle is – as widely expected – promoted after serving as 12th man in the first two Tests against New Zealand, he is eager for the chance to bowl at Kane Williamson, who he dismissed when they last duelled in Tests, in 2011.

"I've had some good success against him in the past. I have troubled him, and had some good battles with him," he said.

Siddle said he would attempt to replicate the strategy that had brought success against elite batsmen such as Kevin Pietersen, A.B. de Villiers and Virat Kohli: starving them of runs, as if to "bore" them out.

"The good players are happy to spend a lot of time out there and make you bowl a lot, so the more pressure you can put on them early on is going to work in our favour," he said.

"You look at all the class players in world cricket: it's worked, hasn't it? It worked against Sachin [Tendulkar], it worked against K.P. [Kevin Pietersen], it works against Kohli. That's the thing, it works. It's pretty basic, but it happens against all the best teams."

One milestone Siddle is assured of this week is another birthday: he turns 31 on Wednesday. His bigger focus, as part of helping Australia to victory, will be a second personal milestone: getting the two wickets he needs to reach 200 in Tests.