Test spot trumps IPL lure for Handscomb

A burning wish to establish himself as a top four batsman in Australia's Test line-up convinced Peter Handscomb to eschew the shimmering jewels of the Indian Premier League and opt instead for a full season with blue-collar Yorkshire.

Handscomb was last year signed by Steve Smith's IPL franchise Rising Pune Supergiants but played just two matches in a star-studded line-up that also featured ex-India skipper MS Dhoni and current India Test players Ajinkya Rahane and Ravi Ashwin.

The 25-year-old, who averages a remarkable 99.75 in Test cricket since making his debut last November, would have been retained by the Pune franchise which Smith will captain this year and also has Handscomb's Melbourne Stars teammate Adam Zampa on its playing roster.

But Handscomb opted out of the world's most lucrative cricket competition because he believes his long-term development as a batsman would be better served by pitting his skills against the swinging, seaming red ball in Division One of the UK's County Championship.

Quick Single: Beauty of Pune pitch in eye of the beholder

Where he will head immediately after the current four-Test Qantas Tour of India concludes in April to take up a stint with county powerhouse, Yorkshire.

"I obviously had a good time with Pune last year and it was very nice of them to release me this year and allow me to go to Yorkshire," Handscomb said today in Pune where the first Test against India begins tomorrow.

"And that was it, I wanted to get over there and play Division One county cricket for a full season and get used to what happens in England and try and figure out a way of playing over there.

"You go to the tough places and play the best players in the world in either spin bowling or seam bowling and it's a great challenge. 

"You want to do it. 

"You want to get over there and test yourself in the hardest conditions and if you come away from it relatively well then you can hold your head up high, and know you can compete with the best in the world.

"I see myself as a longer format player, so sitting on the sidelines in the IPL for me wasn't going to be great practice.

"Especially after I'd spent two months (on the current Test tour) in India already playing in these conditions. 

"So to get over to England and test myself in those conditions but also play games I thought was a much better move."

Quick Single: Balance tips in favour of Renshaw

While India remains a destination of despair for Australia Test team – the only series win in almost 50 years coming in 2004, which was also the last time Australia won a Test here – the UK has become almost as tough an assignment.

The Australians have lost four consecutive Ashes campaigns in the backyard of their oldest and fiercest rival since Steve Waugh's final tour to the UK in 2001, and a number of measures have been adopted to try and reverse that trend.

Among them, the introduction of the England-made Dukes ball for the final half of the current Sheffield Shield season to see if local batters can become better accustomed to its mysterious swing and seam properties.

And when Handscomb was contacted by former Australia opener, and his ex-Victoria teammate, Chris Rogers to alert him that Yorkshire was interested in speaking to the right-hander, he didn't need much convincing to chase up further details.

Quick Single:Players extend the Dukes around new ball

"I worked that one out myself," Handscomb said when asked if Rogers had persuaded him to tackle a stint in the English competition.

"Chris has obviously spoken very highly of going over there and playing county cricket in England and he's done it for many years.

"It shows because when he comes back he plays really well in Australia, and then when he goes to England he knows those conditions really. 

"So it would be good to practice in all conditions, all year around."

Handscomb's ambition to nail down a long-term berth in Australia's Test line-up also explains his reticence to push his claims as a wicketkeeper, even though he has filled that role regularly for Victoria.

And more recently for Australia when incumbent keeper Matthew Wade was forced to pull out of this month's Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODI Series in New Zealand with a painful back complaint that flared prior to the opening match.

Quick Single: Lyon to turns to Test rival for spin tips

Handscomb kept wickets for 16 overs of a trial match at Dubai where the Australians held a week-long training camp before arriving in India last week, but revealed that's all the keeping practice he plans to do for the remainder of this series.

Even though he remains on standby should Wade's back complaint resurface and a replacement gloveman is needed at short notice.

"I like batting in the top four," Handscomb said.

"I want to try and bat in the top four (in Test cricket) and to be able to keep and bat in the top four, I think, is an extraordinarily hard job. 

"I know (former Sri Lanka captain Kumar) Sangakkara tried to do it and couldn't do it, so if he can't I dare say I probably can't either. 

"I just want to be a batsman, and then keeping is something that's been there that can get me a game."

Test Squads

India (for first two Tests): Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund, Hardik Pandya.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade

Australia's schedule in India

Feb 23-27, First Test, Pune

Mar 4-8, Second Test, Bengaluru

Mar 16-20, Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29, Fourth Test, Dharamsala