LANGER HAS NO DOUBT PUCOVSKI WILL BE READY

AUSTRALIAN coach Justin Langer says boom batsman Will Pucovski doesn’t have to make his Test debut as an opener, but he won’t be thrust into the middle order for the four- match series against India.

Despite a groundswell of support for Pucovski to play in the first Test in Adelaide, Langer has been strong in his backing for incumbent opener Joe Burns to partner David Warner.

Plenty of former Australian captains, including Greg Chappell, Allan Border and Michael Clarke, have declared Pucovski, who made consecutive double- hundreds for Victoria, must be picked ahead of Burns who didn’t pass 30 in five Sheffield Shield innings.

An Australia A clash against India next month has been labelled a “bat- off” between Pucovski and Burns, and Langer said it would be “clear” what the first Test team would look like after that three- day match, which starts on December 6.

“We think very, very highly of Will. We picked him as a 19year- old, we picked him as a 20- year- old, we’re now picking him as a 22- year- old. He has enormous talent … when the opportunity comes he’ll be ready to play Test cricket,” Langer said on Wednesday.

“I’m really confident by the time the first ball comes about in a few weeks time, there’s a couple of Australia A games before then, it will become really clear who the top six batters are.”

Langer said the Victorian batting dynamo’s run splurge opening for his state, for the first time after playing most of his career at number three, meant he could “bat anywhere” in the Test order, and he didn’t have to be locked in at the top. But opening was his best path into the Test team for now.

“My view is … if you can bat in the top three in Shield cricket, you can bat anywhere in the order for Australia,” Langer said. “That’s where someone like Will … it gives him the benefit to bat anywhere. He knows how to score hundreds. He sets himself up nicely wherever the opportunity comes up.

“( But) he won’t play in front of ( incumbent batsmen) Matthew Wade or Travis Head.”

Langer said he knows he “can’t win” if he picks Burns or Pucovski.

“And I’m at peace with that,” Langer said.

“If we pick Will Pucovski and don’t pick Joe Burns, the Queenslanders will think we’re wrong and the Vics will think we’re right, half of Australia will think we’re wrong. He ( Pucovski) is a gun player, the opportunity hopefully will come for him at some point.”