Says new boy Pucovski has Aussie team excited

gether in the nets on Tuesday and Warner finished yesterday’s session by giving Pucovski throwdowns, which he previously had done with punted partner Joe Burns.

Every sign points to Pucovski becoming Australia’s 460th Test player.

Pucovski suffered his ninth concussion facing India in a tour match last month as fears escalated that a history of blows to the head and mental health challenges could sabotage a promising career. But an independent neurologist on Monday cleared him to play, and the batting prodigy has left selectors convinced he is ready to face the fire of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Pucovski, who averages 54.5 in first-class cricket, has openly discussed his ongoing mental health challenges after taking breaks from playing to work on his wellbeing.

He spent the COVID-19 break training his mental muscles with mindfulness coach Emma Murray, and blasted 255 not-out and 202 in his first two innings to start the Sheffield Shield season. When Pucovski first started speaking with Murray he revealed he was unsure whether he still wanted to play. But the impressive right-hander has grown considerably, with the goal of steeling himself for lengthy Test career.

Murray taught Pucovski to wiggle his toes between deliveries to sharpen his focus and he could now be Australia’s answer to Indian wall Cheteshwar Pujara. He faced 732 deliveries without being dismissed to start the Shield season. a