Peter Siddle says Fawad Ahmed has not been overawed in his debut for Australia A despite claiming only modest figures of 0-40.

The Pakistan-born asylum seeker has made his first strides towards a Test call-up, rolling the arm over against Ireland in Belfast.

Leg-spinner Ahmed was outshone in the end on day three on Sunday by incumbent Australian offie Nathan Lyon.

Siddle said he didn’t believe Lyon had been given extra motivation by Ahmed’s presence in the side and the prospect of his Test place being under threat.

“I think it doesn’t matter. They’re both professional players and both very serious about the game and I think they know what they’ve got to do to perform well and they go out and do that,” Siddle told AAP.

“Ashton (Agar) is around the group as well. He’s bowling well and between all three of them, it will bring the best out in them. It’s good signs for Australian cricket.

“I think all the spinners on Sunday bowled very well. Obviously Fawad was the one that missed out but I think they all built some pressure, all worked into their rhythm really quickly and started building the pressure.”

Ahmed finished day three with figures of 0-40 from 11 overs, with Lyon taking 1-34 and 19-year-old Agar 2-32 from Ireland’s first innings.

After significant rain delays Ireland declared their first innings at 4-186, still a long way off Australia A’s first innings total of 9-(dec)312.

Opening batsmen Nic Maddinson (113no from 63) and Alex Doolan (56no from 59) came to the crease in the second innings and took the game away from Ireland with some exceptional batting.

Maddinson bludgeoned 13 boundaries and 6 sixes in his third first class hundred.

Siddle described the partnership as “special”.