Peter Handscomb remained realistic about his chances of a swift return to Australia’s Test side but was pleased to take his chance in the BBL and “show I can still make runs” after the frustration of being omitted from the Boxing Day Test on his home ground.
Handscomb surged to 70 off 35 balls to steer a convincing Melbourne Stars chase against Sydney Sixers at the SCG two days after being left out of the Test team following scores of 34, 14, 7 and 13 against India in demanding batting conditions.
When he was left out, captain Tim Paine offered the encouragement that Handscomb’s skills against spin – which were on show in the BBL knock – would keep him in the frame for the final Test in Sydney on January 3, but he knows it will likely take more than one T20 innings to get back in the fold.
“It’s always nice for them to say but it will be a tough call on their behalf,” he said. “Mitch Marsh will probably have to play if it is flat or spinning, we’ll need another bowler, and the other batters are batting really well so to come back into the side on the back of one T20 hit is a tough call, but I’ll be working my arse off in the nets and hopefully something comes of it.
“Team balance was a big thing and we’ve seen that we’ve really needed Mitch to bowl those overs [in Melbourne] so it was an important change and that is perfectly fine.”
Handscomb admitted he had become “sick” of the talk about his technique – which leaves him vulnerable against full deliveries – but said there had been some “honest” conversations with head coach Justin Langer and batting coach Graeme Hick about what he needed to do to find consistent runs at Test level.
“I’ve gone about maybe trying to tinker with a couple of things, working with JL and Hicky, having some good cricket conversations, open and honest conversations about what we think needs to be done so it was nice to come out here and bat well, but it is T20 and I had a bit of luck as well.
“[The changes are] a bit mentally, a bit technically as well. It’s the same old conversation that’s been happening with my technique for however many years, so sort of sick of talking about it, so it as just good to show I can still make runs.”
If Handscomb is to force his hand through weight of runs, they can only come in the T20 format until mid-February with the expanded Big Bash covering the rest of Australia’s Test season which includes two matches against Sri Lanka after the India tour.
“Runs are runs,” he said. “We saw Aaron Finch get picked in the Test side on the back of some solid T20 runs but that was multiple games, this was one hit and if I’m going to try and get back in I have to try and do it again and again and really force my hand so the selectors have no choice but to pick me. It was good to make runs today but doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.”
Handscomb’s evening at the SCG had started brightly with his second string when he pulled off a smart stumping to removing Jack Edwards in the first over the match having had just a five-minute warm-up with the gloves. While conceding he no longer wants to keep in first-class cricket – “it hurts too much” – he is keen for as many white-ball opportunities as he can get with the hope it could boost his international ambitions.
“Definitely putting my hand up for it,” he said. ‘I’m trying my best to play all formats, that’s the goal. It’s good to be able to keep. It’s good fun, I enjoy keeping, always putting my hand up for white-ball keeping, it’s good to have that string to my bow.”
Source: ESPN Crickinfo