Handscomb looks to fine tune technique in bid for Test recall

Cricket365
July 27, 2018

Middle-order batsman Peter Handscomb hopes to earn himself a recall to the Test squad with a strong performance for Australia A in India.

Handscomb has enlisted the help of former Test opener Chris Rogers to help him tweak his technique which has come under fire.

The batsman doesn’t feel that he will need to completely overhaul his technique.

Handscomb told cricket.com.au: “I found it quite funny that when I first came in and I was making runs with my technique, everyone said it was a bit different, but they were happy to go with it.

“It was funny how it all changed when, all of a sudden, I wasn’t making runs and the reason was my technique.”

Handscomb is open to constructive criticism though, and said that he was eager to work on getting forward more often.

“I’ve definitely taken some of that stuff (criticism) on board,” he said.

“I’m doing a lot of work with Chris Rogers, just to tinker with a few things and really get my straight drive and my cover drive back, so I can attack the bowler again rather than just waiting for them to come to me.

“I lost that ability to get forward when I needed to and really put that pressure back on the bowler.

“They just kept coming fuller and fuller and I didn’t really have those answers because I probably got too stubborn in my ways and wanted to prove I could play off the back foot more than I needed to.

“When I first came in (to Test cricket) I was still driving well and still shifting my weight both forward and back well. Over a year, year and a half, I went a little too far back.

“Guys are obviously going to target my pads and they’re going to target my stumps. So I need to be able find a way to be able to score off those balls.

“Hopefully this is a way and I can go out and prove that I’m still a good player, and I’m still a good Test player.”

Australia A Tour of India

Australia A one-day squad: Travis Head (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Joel Paris, Matthew Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth

Schedule

One-day fixtures in Vijayawada

17 August v India A

19 August v South Africa A

21 August v India B

23 August v India A

25 August v South Africa A

27 August v India B

29 August – Quad-Series Final

Australia A four-day squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Michael Neser, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain

Four-day fixtures in Vizag

2-5 September v India A

8-11 September v India A