Will is feeling at home
A CLOSE relationship with Test captain Tim Paine and the presence of his Victorian coach Chris Rogers in Sydney have ensured Will Pucovski is preparing perfectly for a potential Test debut in Adelaide.
The 22-year-old Victorian batting dynamo did his best to get out of the “cricket bubble” following his twin double-hundreds in the Sheffield Shield which thrust him in to Test contention. Only what seems an unlikely recovery from injured opener David Warner could prevent Pucovski partnering Joe Burns at the top of the order against India in the first Test.
But back in training for an Australia A match with IndiaA, in which Pucovski and Burns will bat together, the rookie said “understanding each other” would be the key to any Test success.
“Joe and I get along really well which is a good start,’’ Pucovski said. “We haven’t batted together heaps but that’s cricket. As long as you know how to bounce off each other and get each other going in the middle or know what each other require, that’s all that matters.’’
“Just understanding each other, what each other needs. You go through stages where one player might be fatigued or struggling a bit in the middle.’’
Pucovski is primed to perform should he get his baggy green cap.
“I was pretty happy when I found out (Rogers) was coming up just because having that continuity is very helpful,” Pucovski said.
“We have only been working together for a few months but we’ve worked out how to bounce off each other and how to work off each other. It’s very handy to have him up here.”
Pucovski and Paine, who often engage in exchanges on social media, also spent a lot of time chatting at training in Sydney on Friday.
It was just “general chitchat” but being close with the Test captain is another tick for Pucosvki feeling comfortable in the national team.
“I get along really well with him,” Pucovski said.
Pucovski said he didn’t get caught in the hype around a potential “bat-off” between him and Burns before Warner’s injury, and he wasn’t getting lost in the noise around his possible Test debut. He said the new reality didn’t change how he would go about things.
“I don’t think so,’’ Pucovski said. “If you are in the 17-man squad, you know you are pretty close (to playing).
“It hasn’t really changed much. Selections and injury is one of those things out of my control. All I can do is prepare myself the best for if I play in Adelaide, if Dave gets up, I don’t play.
“I am as mentally prepared as I can be.”
Burns said on Thursday that establishing a bond between openers was vital to succeeding at the top of the order.