Doggett adds miles to his legs amid Border-Gavaskar Trophy ambitions

After providing photo opportunities with his Australia A team-mate and BBL rival Jhye Richardson in Chennai's oppressive heat at Chepauk on Thursday, Brendan Doggett was so drenched in sweat that he needed a breather to change his Melbourne Renegades jersey.

Doggett, 32, has been on the fringes of Australia's Test team and is now working his way back from a major hamstring injury. He hasn't played a competitive game since February and will put his body to the test during the two four-dayers against India A in Puducherry, where the heat can be just as extreme.

"The body is going well so far," Doggett said on the sidelines of a BBL event in Chennai before joining the rest of the Australia A side in Puducherry. "I've been up and bowling and look forward to performing against India A and hopefully playing some Test cricket. I've been up and running at full fitness now for probably the last two months. So everything's feeling good and in check.

"Coming off a winter back home, the conditions are going to be vastly different here. But, we've done a bit of heat adaptation work and obviously got the workloads through the body. So, it's going to be a great start to our season for us, everyone involved in this 'A' series in Pondicherry. So we're all really looking forward to it and hopefully we can put on some good performances."

The A series marks the start of Australia's Test prep for the 2026-27 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will kick off in January next year. After featuring in last year's Ashes series, Doggett hopes to put his name up for the upcoming five-match Test series in India.

"Hopefully, I can be part of the Border-Gavaskar Test squad," Doggett said. "I think that's one of the big series as an Australian. You know, growing up watching Test cricket in India, it looks like a real grind and a different challenge to what we're used to in Australia and also what you get in England. So, yeah, hopefully I can be part of that squad and be able to play a role in that series."

With Australia's senior pace cohort ageing and the team set to play three Tests in South Africa, then four against New Zealand at home, then five in India, followed by five more in England in mid-2027, Australia's pace depth will be seriously tested in the coming months.

Doggett, who is part of the next line of pacers behind Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland, isn't too perturbed and is confident that Australia have enough depth to navigate this hectic period.

Billy Stanlake has emerged as an unlikely contender for a Test call-up over Australia's packed next 12 months. Apart from Doggett, Australia A have Richardson, Mahli Beardman and allrounders Jack Edwards and Liam Scott in the mix in India.

"I think it's probably what happens when you have such quality fast bowlers who have played for such a long time in Josh [Hazlewood], Pat [Cummins], Starcy [Mitchell Starc]," Doggett said. "These guys have just probably built a backlog of young fast bowlers who are trying to emulate everything that they've done and what they've achieved.

"So fast-bowling depth in Australia is very strong. All these guys are good enough to get to the top level at some point through their careers. I don't think there's any need to worry about the fast-bowling depth in Australia. Hopefully, opportunities will arise for me. So personally, it's just stay ready, stay fit, and perform when I do get an opportunity, and let the rest take care of itself. Playing for Australia is a massive ambition of mine."

Doggett feels that experiencing the Ashes pressure and bowling alongside the likes of Starc, Boland and Nathan Lyon have steeled him for the big block of red-ball cricket on the horizon.

"It's a very fortunate position for me to be in, to be able to rub shoulders with probably the best fast bowlers of this generation to do it," Doggett said. "They're all playing in the one team and they all go about it a little bit differently in their own way. But, yeah, to be able to lean on those guys and learn from them and see what they do well, I'm very fortunate to be able to do that.

"Making my debut in an Ashes series, especially in the first Test at Optus Stadium, it's a dream come true playing in front of 60,000 people. It is intimidating! Just how to handle that pressure with a bigger crowd and a lot more riding on it. So, yeah, it was a great experience, and like I said, hopefully I can play a bit more."

Towards the close of the year, Doggett is also enthused at the prospect of playing in front of another blockbuster crowd during the BBL opener in Chennai, where his team Renegades will host defending champions Perth Scorchers on December 12.

"Chepauk [conditions] might be the complete opposite of what we encounter at Marvel Stadium," Doggett said. "Back home, it's typically a lower, slower surface where runs can be hard work and bowlers stay in the game. Here, it looks like a beautiful [batting] wicket, high totals, and plenty of runs like we see in the IPL. Our challenge is to adapt quickly and entertain the fans. Hopefully, we get more Renegades than Scorchers fans in Chennai."