Handscomb back in the selection mix after 50s

THE Australian batting lineup for the first Test against India should be locked in by Tuesday and support is building for Peter Handscomb to once again wear a baggy green.

With two half-centuries in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield defeat at the Gabba this week, Handscomb outperformed his rival for a middle-order spot, South Australian Travis Head.

Dismissed for just 11 in Tasmania yesterday, Head did not pass 50 in the first innings either and with a Test average of 65.5 in Australia, with two hundreds, the numbers play out in Handscomb’s favour.

The fact extra batsmen were picked in coach Justin Langer’s squad for next week’s opening Test against India has led many to believe a decision on the final line-up has not been made. Langer seemed to endorse Head when the squad was named, but plenty believe he is still in a battle with Handscomb to bat at No.4 in Adelaide. Despite a Shield 150 this month, Mitch Marsh may also not be a lock.

It is expected the unwanted players will be released from the 14-man Test squad early next week in order to play for their states in the next round of Shield matches, which begin next Friday.

Victorian coach Andrew McDonald said Handscomb, who has 361 Shield runs at an average of 45 this season, has never batted better.

McDonald said players like Handscomb, who has played 13 Tests, and Victorian opener Marcus Harris were the sort of batsmen Australian cricket needed and deserved a good run at proving themselves.

“The guys they have picked are the ones they believe can take Australian cricket forward from this point,” McDonald said. “I have no doubt they can do that given the opportunity, and given a decent run at it as well. The key thing is that if you think they are good enough now you are probably going to pick them for the duration of the summer.

“If you get that opportunity in four of five Test matches you find out whether you can play at that level.”

Handscomb is proven at Test level, and McDonald believes it is time to get him back in the team. The 26-year-old is batting well, and positively. He has the second best strike rate of anyone with more than 350 Shield runs this season, and only five players have hit more fours than Handscomb in the opening five games.