HANDSCOMB CREDITS CHRIS ROGERS FOR ODI RESURGENCE

MOHALI: Peter Handscomb played a 117 run knock against India, enabling his team to defeat India in the fourth ODI at Mohali on Sunday. The middle-order batsman has said that spending time with Chris Rogers helped him to improve his game.

“I have been working on my technique with Chris Rogers since the last one year, and felt I lost my straight drive and cover drive prior to that, we worked upon the basics and going back to some things in my technique,” International Cricket Council(icc) quoted Handscomb as saying.

“Cricket is still a fickle game and one has highs and lows during a career. To get dropped from the Test team and now pushing my case for white-ball cricket and this century is good for me,” ICC quoted Handscomb.

Handscomb scored his first century in the ODI format and said that he is very happy with this knock and the knock is really special for him.

“I am pretty happy about today’s knock, I had a stopand-go start in ODI cricket and getting an opportunity at such a stage means that you have to take it. It was nice to get a hundred today in tough conditions. It feels special,” ICC quoted Handscomb.

When Handscomb was dismissed, Australia still needed 84 runs from 53 deliveries. But Ashton Turner ensured that Australia gets over the line and level the series against India.

Handscomb maybe inching closer to cementing a spot for this year’s 50-over World Cup. He struggled for runs in the h o me T e s t series against India and was subsequently dropped for the two Tes t s a g a i ns t S r i Lanka.

He was also left out for white-ball matches against South Africa at home.

“Obviously, it was shattering to get dropped from the Test squad, it was something I’d been priding myself on, trying to be a strong red-ball player for Victoria and always pushing my case for Australia.

“I didn’t know if I was ever going to play a one-dayer again.

“It’s funny how things change but it was nice to get that opportunity in Australia and take it, then to have faith (from) the selectors to keep me in, it was nice to get (maiden hundred) today. It was pretty special.”

Australia will be defending champions at the Cricket World Cup, to be hosted by England and Wales from May 30 to July 14.