His quiet addition to the ODI squad for the upcoming series against South Africa barely raised an eyebrow back in Australia.

But anyone doubting David’s ability to perform in the longer format should be equally cautious because his development as a cricketer suggests otherwise.

It was in David’s very first international series for Australia where he showcased some of the situational skills the selectors are hoping he can produce in his first ODI series.

He’s a very good player of spin. He bats well in India. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s been added to that [ODI] squad

Glenn Maxwell on Tim David

With Australia batting first, he walked in at 84 for 4 in the 10th over, far earlier than any finisher would prefer to enter. Australia would slump to 117 for 6 before the end of the 14th over. Instead of hitting his way out of trouble, David methodically went through the gears to reach 25 off 19 balls. He hit just two boundaries and faced just five dot balls.

It was almost completely risk-free. He hit the ball to the sweepers to rotate the strike and picked up two well-placed twos. His boundary shots were relatively low risk. One was a lofted off drive from a generous Harshal Patel half-volley, the other a lovely, controlled late cut off Hardik Pandya. He took the innings deep to the 18th over, with the help of Daniel Sams, before he finally unleashed “typical Tim David”, launching three sixes and a four in his last eight balls.

It was an innings that even Maxwell noted was a window into David’s talent beyond just T20 cricket.

“I think the way he batted in that first [T20I against South Africa] showed great maturity, and a great level head,” Maxwell said. “I think any time you bring a player in who’s in good form, he’s got a history of great power hitting at the back end, but what we probably haven’t seen a lot on the international stage from Tim is that style of play where he is able to get through a tough time. He’s a very good player of spin. He bats well in India. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s been added to that [ODI] squad.”

In the same club competition in Perth where his current Australia team-mates Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green and Josh Inglis all cut their teeth, David was a dominant force in his late teens and early 20s, particularly in the 50-over format. Playing with white balls and under the same fielding restriction rules as the current version of ODI cricket, David’s middle-over smarts against spin, his situational ability to slip through the gears and use his developing power judiciously were rare traits for a young player.

How much of an opportunity David gets remains to be seen as Australia balances trying to plug their short-term injury holes with bedding down their World Cup plans. But he’s proven he can handle high-pressure moments. If he does during this series and injuries remain a worry, Australia’s final 15-man squad might look slightly different.