'Bittersweet' moment for Aussie quick Jhye Richardson pushing for Test spot

West Australian quick Jhye Richardson says he's "ready to go" if called upon for the Ashes, after a full year out of the game.

The 29-year-old underwent shoulder surgery in January. It was the third surgery on that right shoulder since he initially dislocated it back in 2019.

Taking the long term approach to get it fully healthy, he has waited patiently for his opportunity this summer.

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Richardson took five wickets for Australia A against the England Lions in Brisbane and will travel with the Aussie side to Adelaide for the third Ashes Test, though he hasn't been named in the squad.

However, if a Mitchell Starc or a Scott Boland needs a rest in Melbourne or Sydney, Richardson is chomping at the bit for a chance.

"Ready to go. Feeling good. Ready to go if the opportunity arises. Shoulder is feeling good," Richardson told 2GB's WWOS.

"But not counting my chickens before they hatch. The guys in the squad are doing a phenomenal job and the results speak for themselves.

"Don't want to expect anything. I'll be working hard to get back there, but I don't want to think too far ahead."

Richardson said he was excited to be back around the Test group after a long time on the sidelines.

"It's obviously really exciting. If we had have said we were in this scenario January 13 when we had surgery we'd be pretty happy," Richardson said.

"Just being able to play or be around the group and play red ball cricket in the last few weeks has been an amazing feeling after what has felt like a long process with all the other injuries over the last four or five years. It's a bit of a relief.

"There are times in rehab where your head gets the better of you and you wonder whether you're going to get back to where you hope to be.

"This feels like the last ticked box before hopefully being ready for the latter stages of the summer and really being able to try to set myself up to play some consistent games, which is what I've lacked over the last few years."

When asked if he had doubts as to whether he would represent Australia nationally again, Richardson said: "naturally your head kind of does go there".

"Knowing what you've had a taste of and then it gets ripped away from you really quickly and you never really know, especially when you go under the knife, nothing is guaranteed," he said.

"There's never a 100 per cent success rate, so to be back in this position, it does make it all worth it.

"It's been funny actually. You pull up sore a few times over the last couple of weeks and you go 'geez I've got to back up again, I've got to bowl again', but you've got to put all that aside and go 'you know what, this is what I've been wanting for the last few years'.

"I've been wanting to pull up sore. I've been wanting to bowl a lot of overs. It's been a strange feeling.

"I feel close to getting back there, which is a nice feeling. It's good to be going into this next period as fit as I've been over the last five years."

Australia has also been bolstered by the return of captain Pat Cummins, while Starc, Boland, Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett have carried pace responsibilities so far.

Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the summer as he battles an Achilles issue.

The only downside for Richardson travelling with the team to Adelaide is it rules him out of the start of the Perth Scorchers' Big Bash campaign.

"It is bittersweet I must admit. I was really looking forward to playing Sunday in front of a home crowd," he said.

"It's always nice to open up a campaign in front of a home crowd. Big Bash is always such a cool time of year. It's so much fun.

"I would have loved to have played. Hopefully get a few games in at some point.

"Ultimately I've been very open in saying Test cricket has been my goal over the last few years.

"Hopefully to get back there will make it worth it, but if there's some opportunities to play some Scorchers games, I'll be putting in my all that's for sure."