Resolute Bancroft enhances reputation

Cameron Bancroft is only 23 but he's already earned a reputation as being one of the more difficult men to dismiss in Australian cricket.

And while a sub-tropical Saturday downpour and a lingering soggy outfield ensured he was forced to wait near enough 24 hours to return to the middle of Brisbane's Allan Border Field, once he was out there, he was staying put until it was job done.

Bancroft has a 13-hour epic Sheffield Shield double century to his name and calls on meditative exercises to win the psychological battle in the middle.

And on a day that began four hours late, the Western Australian drew on that considerable reservoir of mental strength to get the better of an impressive India A bowling group.

"It was good to get the team over the line," Bancroft said with a touch of understatement following the tense three-wicket win.

"Yesterday there was about 12 wickets that fell for about 170 runs, so it must've been a little bit more difficult than usual.

"It was overcast, and with the pink ball it was tough at different times, so it was a good challenge, and it was nice to get home in the end."

Quick Single: Ice-cool Bancroft leads Aus A to win

From the outset of the chase, with 21-year-old Tasmanian Beau Webster in tow and 'keeper-batsman Sam Whiteman the only recognised willow-wielder remaining, Bancroft took up the responsibility of senior statesman.

While Webster and Whiteman came and went, Bancroft stood defiant against an Indian attack he described as being "really disciplined with their areas".

"It's part of my game that I've wanted to improve – my second innings," he explained. "Often as an opener you get those small-to-medium totals like today and part of me has craved that ability to be hungry and knuckle down and get those runs for the team.

"That's an improvement I've made in this series and something I want to keep doing."

The opening batsman soaked up 151 deliveries, striking six boundaries.

It was risk-averse batting, the focus exclusively on achieving the end result, with anything else simply a distraction.

In short, it was exactly the sort of performance that has made the likes of WA coach Justin Langer deem Bancroft a perfect candidate for a long-term Test opening spot.

And it was another Warrior, current Australia A assistant coach Mike Hussey, who offered some timely words of advice.

"At the start of the day, Mike Hussey said that pressure in these types of circumstances is a privilege," he said.

"It's not every day you get an opportunity to be able to get your team home, and as a batsman, that's what you strive to do, so to be able to do that today was really good."