Peter Handscomb is captaining Australia A through a challenging tour of India that will shape preparations for next year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The tour features two four-day matches and three 50-over games, all scheduled in Puducherry from September 22 to October 11.
The 35-year-old has faced Indian bowling attacks before, having played 11 Tests against India during his international career, with his most recent appearance coming during Australia’s previous tour of India in 2023, when he featured in all four matches of that series.
Handscomb brings considerable experience to the Australia A squad as they prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. His domestic form has been strong, having led the run-scoring charts in last season’s Sheffield Shield with 724 runs at an average of 34.47. Speaking about the difficulty of batting against India’s bowlers, Handscomb acknowledged their exceptional skill and discipline.
“You’ve got to attack when you get the opportunity to score, but it is tough,” Handscomb was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
“The Indian bowlers are incredibly accurate, consistent and don’t give a lot of bad balls. You’ve got to try and find a way to score off good balls. It can be tough when the ball misbehaves, but that’s the challenge of playing in India.”
The Australia A captain’s assessment highlighted the precision and control that India’s bowling unit brings to every delivery.
Handscomb’s assessment of Indian bowling accuracy
Handscomb has extensive experience against Indian cricket, having played at the highest level against some of the world’s finest players. Despite the difficulty of facing such quality bowling, he views the opportunity as a privilege.
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“It’s tough to keep coming up against India, but it’s also such an amazing thing to do.There are some of the best players in the world here and I’m lucky enough to have played against some of them,” Handscomb added.
His perspective underscored both the challenge and the value of competing against India’s cricket programme.
The second four-day match of the tour began on Tuesday, September 29, offering Handscomb and his Australia A squad another opportunity to test themselves against India A’s bowling attack. The tour served as crucial preparation for both teams ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy scheduled for next year.
