Classy Handscomb continues pink-ball form

In a tense match dominated by the bowlers so far, the legend of 'the devil's number' number struck Australian cricket once again.

Victorian Peter Handscomb was the victim on day two, run-out on the dreaded score of 87 made infamous by the legendary Keith Miller, though the Australia A captain will likely be more focused on the outstanding manner in which he struck the ball during a 93-ball innings that was the equal of anything seen in this winter A series so far.

Handscomb made a century in the previous first-class match of the series, against South Africa last month in Townsville, and while the man many good judges have tipped to spend his future in the Baggy Green fell 13 short of that milestone against India A in Brisbane, his performance again justified the hype.

And he is also happily building an enviable record against the pink ball: from 10 innings now he has 521 runs at an average of 52.10, with two hundreds.

Handscomb was philosophical about the nature of his first-innings dismissal – a mix-up between the wickets with Tasmania youngster Beau Webster which he described as "unfortunately just part of the game" – and instead chose to focus on his first-class form.

"I'm feeling really good," he said. "I found it quite a nice wicket out there and I don't mind batting against the pink ball … you have to understand whether it's seaming around or swinging, but I find once you're in against it, it becomes quite easy to bat.

"I think (the pink ball is) actually quite tough for bowlers because after about six overs I'm not entirely sure the ball moves again until you get a new one. So I think it's quite good for batters as long as you can apply yourself and bat through the tough periods when the bowlers bowl stump to stump.

"But the set-up feels good, the shape's coming through nicely, so I'm quietly confident in my own performance at the moment."

The right-hander is unorthodox but effective. Contrary to the modern trend, he stands with both feet well in his crease, to the point that it appears from beyond the boundary that the slightest misbalance could seal his fate.

More contemporary is the manner in which he holds his bat head-high in his stance as the bowler approaches, though even that is slightly unusual, with a not-too-distant resemblance to a baseballer eyeing the bleachers beyond left field.

He plays late and finds the middle with a minimum of fuss.

Quick Single: I'm ready for the next level: Handscomb

Against India's pacemen at Allan Border Field, he happily whipped the ball off his pads whenever the opportunity presented itself, and peppered gully through to cover regularly off both back foot and front.

When faced with spin, he somehow managed to get back further in his crease to allow himself to work the ball away to the fence, or danced down the track and drove through gaps either side of the wicket.

"I find positive footwork either forward or back has been a strong part of my game in the way I play the spinners," Handscomb explained.

"Generally when they bowl a bit slower I try to go quite deep, and when they attack me a bit more and bowl a bit faster I feel I can get out to them a bit more and drive them."

In all, he blazed 15 fours and one six, the latter landing on a neighbouring office-block roof.

The tally was 66 runs out of 87 in boundaries, and a wagon wheel that probably doesn't do justice to the versatility with which he scored his runs.

The one regret was a failure to go big and take the contest away from the Indians, and the skipper lamented a collapse that brought the match back on an even keel. 

"We were in a great position to set up the game so that we controlled it," he added. "But our batting towards the end of our innings let India in."

Second time around, Handscomb was at it again, blazing his way to 24 from 18 balls with five boundaries as he looked to steer Australia A to their target of 159 in a hurry. 

His luck deserted him however when a miscued pull shot - he may well have again been eyeing that office block roof - found a lunging deep backward square leg.

It was his last action for this winter 'A' series, and while it might not have been the one he was after, the 25-year-old ends his time in charge of Australia A having only enhanced his prospects for one day wearing the Baggy Green.