Victorian star Scott Boland will be raring to go should he be required during the Border Gavaskar Trophy as champion fast bowler Mitchell Starc declared he was feeling “the best I’ve felt in a while” after a superb return at the MCG this week.

While Australian captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will feature against Victoria in a one-day game at the Junction Oval on Friday, Starc and reserve quick Boland both impressed in the Sheffield Shield clash clinched by the Vics by 141 runs on Wednesday.

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Starc, who claimed the wicket of aspiring Test opener Marcus Harris in both innings and finished with 7-116 in his first red-ball game since March, is hopeful he will be fit enough to feature in all five Tests of the series against India beginning in Perth on November 22.

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The fast bowling trio of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins featured in seven Tests last summer against Pakistan and the West Indies in Australia, and also against the Kiwis in New Zealand, and all have made it clear in the past they want to feature whenever fully fit.

Aussie great Brett Lee told Fox Cricket’s podcast The Follow On this week that Australia should do everything in its power to ensure the champions play every Test against India and Starc declared that was the goal after taking a five-wicket haul in the second innings.

“Standing here before a series, it’s hard to say yes or no (but) that’s the goal and it was fantastic from the group to do that last summer,” he said.

“A few four day Tests helped that. (This summer) I can just focus on five (Tests) and not seven. That’s the goal, that’s why you do all the work off the field. I’ll be putting myself in the best position to play all five. If not, we’ve always had a squad mentality.”

New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd said it had been a privilege to watch the manner with which the experienced Australian trio have prepared for the summer ahead. He said Starc was clearly bowling at a level that will trouble India.

“Look, his pace, his rhythm, all of those things that go to engineering the sort of pace he was dealing with, he did change the game once he decided to go short and really sort of change the dynamic of the match,” Shipperd said.

“And (in the) second innings, again, we thought perhaps he’d done enough, but he kept coming. So it’s a good sign for Australia and troubles ahead, perhaps, on the right wicket for India.

“He prepares so well, as well. I’ve been in a fortunate chair to witness our Australian players and how they prepare and get ready for their matches and it’s thoroughly professional. He’s been bowling, very, very well in the nets (and) indeed in this game as well.

“I’d imagine (we will) get the same sort of response from Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood when we see them in the white ball team.”

Boland stands as a leading contender to step into the Australian team should a spot open up through the summer, be it via an injury to one of the preferred fast bowlers or if the decision is taken to rest one the champion quicks.

Shipperd identified Boland, Sean Abbott and Michael Neser as the “super contenders for the depth bowlers around the big three”.

Returning from a knee injury that cut-short his stint in County cricket, Boland snared the wicket of Australian hopeful Sam Konstas in both innings and also secured former Test captain Steve Smith LBW for a duck on Monday to finish with three wickets.

Quizzed as to what he would tell national selectors if asked about the 35-year-old’s readiness, former Test opener and Victorian coach Chris Rogers said; “I’d say he’s an unbelievable bowler, and (that is) nothing that they don’t know.

“He’s the kind of bowler we believe only gets better and better as he goes along,” Rogers said.

“So he looked a bit ring rusty first up but then (in) that second innings, when we needed to get some early wickets, because we knew the pitch was flattening out, he got the two big ones, really. And that’s what he does.

“Every time he has the ball in his hand for Victoria, you know something’s going to happen. He’d be ready to go.”

NSW skipper Moises Henriques, who was deflated after the comprehensive loss to Victoria, said the veteran quick looked in good shape.

“Obviously (he has) a little bit of extra pace and his control is immaculate, and because he’s sort of angling into the right handers, a lot of the time you almost always feel like you’ve got to play,” he said.

“And then for the left handers, he comes around the wicket and creates the angle, but sort of naturally takes the ball away from the left hander, so they end up feeling like they’ve got to play as well. He’s come up with a recipe that really works and works well for him.

“I guess the little bit of confidence that we can take out as first class cricketers is that when he has got his opportunity for Australia, he has also made a lot of fantastic Test cricketers look pretty pedestrian with the way that (he bowls and) how easily he is able to take wickets and build pressure as well. He’s obviously a very, very fine bowler at all levels (and) coming up against him is always a good battle.”

Starc said the form of Boland in his first match up and the deeds of Abbott, who finished with five wickets and was especially challenging in the opening innings against Victoria, indicated Australia had “some good stock” to call on if necessary against India.

The left-handed fast bowler will feature in the white-ball internationals against Pakistan early next month in what he said was the best preparation he had enjoyed in some time, saying the additional lead-in to the India series would stand the Aussies in good stead.

“It’s been a plan in the background this year with Josh and Pat as well. Batters play a little bit more,” Starc said.

“I feel in a good spot, not coming off a lot of cricket. I nearly got to 40 overs (36.5 at the MCG) which was probably more than the people off the field would have liked.

“Wickets aside, the rhythm was there and it felt the best I’ve felt in a while. Across the two innings it feels like it’s in a good spot at the front end of the summer. The little things I’ve been trying to groove feel like they’re coming together.”