Kolkata (PTI): Drafted into the Rest of India side for the Irani Trophy match in place of injured Sachin Tendulkar, hardworking Subramaniam Badrinath reckons a great opportunity coming his way to make it to the Test squad with a good knock against Ranji champions Delhi.

Badrinath, who was captaining India A in a triangular series involving A sides of Australia and New Zealand before his inclusion in the Rest team, is itching to go out in the middle at Vadodara.

"Maybe the time has come for me now. It's a great feeling ... Tremendous to know that I'll play for the Rest. I would like to make use of this opportunity; a good knock means chance to make the Test squad against Australia," said the Tamil Nadu batsman who scored a match-winning 69 not out against New Zealand A on Wednesday.

"I can't ask for more, if I make a debut against the world champions," Badrinath told PTI from Chennai in an interview.

Shrugging off the notion that luck plays a role in a cricketer's career, Badrinath says he believes in hardwork.

"I am not somebody, who is a firm believer in luck. I believe in hardwork and wait for the right opportunity. The incidents in the past (of coming so close to selection but not making it) have made me strong mentally," he said.

True for somebody with a first-class average of 55.92 and 40-plus in List A matches -- only Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, among batsmen still active and with at least 50 innings, have a higher First Class average -- but yet been ignored in the last three years.