Battle of Bushrangers

Victorian teammates fighting for same Test spot

PETER Handscomb and Marcus Harris are in a head-tohead shootout for the only vacant spot in Australia’s side for the first Test against India.

Australian cricket coach Justin Langer confirmed every other member of his XI is locked in, and the only decision to be made is which Victorian plays next week in Adelaide.

The theatre of the intriguing battle was laid bare at the Gabba yesterday, as Handscomb (53) and Harris (62) made classy half centuries in a partnership that, beneath the surface, was more like an old western showdown.

While the batting order would tweak depending on which Bushranger made the cut, Handscomb and Harris are the only question mark that remains for the coach.

At a gala dinner at the SCG last night, Langer was inducted alongside his “brother” and long-term opening partner Matthew Hayden as the only ever dual honorees of the prestigious Bradman Foundation.

The previous night they caught up for a meal in Sydney, talked cricket, and Langer – for the first time in months – was able to relax and laugh.

When he gets back to business next week in Adelaide, Langer will consider Harris as an opener or a No. 3, while Handscomb would help break up the overload of left-handers in the middle-order.

“I will always be transparent so I would say it is,” said Langer of his only selection conundrum.

“We need to work out whether we stick with the (opening) combination of Aaron Finch and Usman (Khawaja), who seemed to have this nice synergy about them and this really nice feel about it in the UAE.

“They didn’t seem flustered. They’re two more senior players. For me as an ex-opener and as a coach, there was a nice feel about those two.

“If we decide to break it up, then Marcus Harris will probably play. If we decide to keep them together Marcus could bat three or Shaun Marsh bats three or we look at Peter Handscomb in the middle order. These are all golden opportunities for all the guys.”

Handscomb couldn’t have done much more, with an 81 and a second half century against Queensland on a wicket not easy for batting.

Looming ominously in the shadows of Sydney’s big wet is Virat Kohli, who will be desperate for a bat at the SCG today after day one of India’s tour match against the Cricket Australia XI was a washout.