'I can still play the fast ball': Handscomb on Aussie hopes

With an India Test tour on the horizon, following recent subcontinent series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, it's little surprise Peter Handscomb has entered the conversation for a national recall.

Widely regarded as one of Australia's best players of spin bowling, it's almost a four-yearly ritual that such players be touted for inclusion when a subcontinent tour rolls around, and not heard of in between.

Just take Victorian teammate Glenn Maxwell, for example.

Indeed, six of Handscomb's 16 Tests for Australia have come on tours of India and Bangladesh in 2017.

But while he has enjoyed success in those conditions (including 72no in his third Test in India, and 82 in his second outing against Bangladesh), by far his most productive innings for Australia have been on the hard, bouncy wickets of his home nation.

Though he does see it as a compliment to be regarded as a good player against spin, the Victorian captain doesn't want to be pigeonholed for international contention only on subcontinent tours.

"I do like playing against spin but I've also played in Australia for most of my career, which is mainly against quicks, so I like to think I can still play the fast ball," Handscomb said on the Vic State Cricket Podcast.

"If (being a good player of spin) does help me get on subcontinent tours, which it has done before, then that's great.

"But also don't forget I do like batting in Australia as well, where it is fast and bouncy and I can play a few cuts and pulls if need be."

He might be 31 years old, but least season's Marsh Sheffield Shield leading run-scorer (with 697 at 49.78) believes his best Australian days are still ahead of him.

The right-hander revealed he was still talking with men's selection chair George Bailey to nail down what he needs to do to add to his 16 Test caps.

"Mike Hussey debuted at 30 and had a pretty good Test career and even Chris Rogers started playing again at 35 and played for a couple of years, so it's definitely not out of the realms to play again," Handscomb said.

"It's something that I'm pushing for that's for sure; I'm still talking to George Bailey and getting a feel for what I need to do, but ultimately it's (to) make runs.

"You also need a position to come up in the team as well and when the Test team is as strong as it is and performing quite well, it doesn't matter how many runs you score, they stay in and they keep performing.

"My aim is still to be on that Test tour to India (in February-March next year), even if it's just as a backup."

Also not to be discounted is Handscomb's 50-over form, which should likewise have him in the frame for a berth in Australia's squad for the ODI World Cup in India late next year where he could add stability to a middle-order that was exposed during recent series against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and New Zealand.

Handscomb is the Marsh One-Day Cup's second leading run-scorer over the past six seasons (including the start of this summer), with his 1257 runs at 48.34 placing him behind only Tasmania's Ben McDermott (1300), who scored his maiden ODI century against Pakistan in April.

There's no doubt the Victorian skipper remains on the radar of Bailey and the selection panel, as he was initially included in the 16-player Australia A touring party for their four-match foray to Sri Lanka in June.

But with the premature arrival of son Jack mid-year, which saw he and wife Sarah spend a month in hospital, Handscomb missed an opportunity to push his case for a recall in testing subcontinent conditions as Australia A won both four-day matches against Sri Lanka A.

With Jack now healthy and putting on weight, Handscomb returned to the field as the Marsh Cup got underway last month and again started the summer in fine touch with a superb 93 against reigning champions WA.

He's now preparing to lead a full-strength Victoria in their Shield season opener against South Australia on Thursday – an opponent he struck a match-saving 148 not out against last summer – as they look to make amends for their second-place finish in 2021-22.

"I felt good out there (against WA)," Handscomb said.

"We've done a lot of work this preseason on the way we want to play cricket and that's pretty close to it."

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