Young Australian batting sensation Will Pucovski is more excited than intimidated about his potential Test debut, thanks to the hype around it, in the upcoming opening Day-Night Test of the four-match series against India starting December 17 at Adelaide Oval.
With David Warner recovering from a groin injury sustained during the recent ODI series, the 22-year-old is likely to make it to the playing XI for the first Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy and he is just keen on taking the Indian bowlers after having watched them on TV “dominating around the world.”
Pucovski, who has amassed 1,720 runs from 22 first-class matches for Victoria, said playing with the pink ball could be a bit different experience and he is just excited with the prospects of wearing whites in Adelaide and facing one of the world’s best bowling attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Pucovski told the official broadcasters Sony Network in an online media interaction: “It is pretty exciting. Obviously, just challenging yourself at the next level is pretty exciting in itself. You watch these boys on TV dominating around the world and sort of never think, that could be me facing them one day. But it could potentially become a reality.”
The right-handed batsman said he is ready for his Test debut against India if he gets the opportunity to open alongside Joe Burns in Adelaide.
He further asserted, “I am probably as mentally prepared as I can be, it will just be if I do get the opportunity, just go out there, and as I said before just apply my processes, and the rest will take care of itself.”
Pucovski also believes that the upcoming Test series would be even more intense than the last series, adding: “I remember it being a very tense series, I remember sort of watching, there seems to be a lot of momentum shifts, and obviously when two very good teams come up against each other, that seems to be the case. So, I wouldn’t expect anything different this summer, if anything, it will be even more intense. I don’t think we had Smithy (Steve Smith) and (David) Warner last time.”
He signed off by saying, “So, having those two back, hopefully, David can get up and be fit during at least at some stage during the series, if not the first Test, and then obviously having Smithy around, who is the best batter in the world, will obviously be a huge plus for us.”
(With PTI Inputs)
