IND v AUS: Brad Hodge calls Peter Handscomb the best Australian player of spin at the moment

Peter Handscomb scored his maiden ODI century and helped Australia chase down 358.

Handscomb made 117 | AFPPeter Handscomb finally came into his own in the fourth One-day International match against India at the PCA’s IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh. Handscomb slammed his maiden ODI century and helped Australia draw level in the 5-match series, with the final match to be played in Delhi at March 13.

India had piled up 358 runs on board batting first with Shikhar Dhawan making 143 and Rohit Sharma making 95. Pat Cummins picked a fifer for Australia. In the chase, Australia lost Finch, Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell for cheap, but Usman Khawaja (91) and Handscomb (117) took the game away from Indian bowlers with a 192-run partnership. The dew made it hard for bowlers to ball, and it resulted in Ashton Turner making 84* with 6 sixes, finishing the game and Australia winning by 4 wickets.

His technique was a big talking point in the Australian summer, only because it actually doesn’t look fashionable. We don’t like change, we’re pretty set in our ways as cricketers. Peter Handscomb goes about his work in a completely different manner,” Hodge told ESPNCricinfo.

He was never out of form, he was just put up against a pretty good Indian attack in [Jasprit] Bumrah, [Mohammed] Shami and Ishant Sharma, so he had his troubles but I think he’s fought back,” Hodge added further.

Since being recalled to Australia’s ODI squad for the home series against India in January, Handscomb has scored 73, 20, 58, 19, 48, 0 before scoring the match-winning century in Mohali. Speaking on this, Hodge said, “He had a pretty good one-day series in Australia and you see how versatile he is. He goes along at a fair click, he doesn’t look like he’s really needing to hit big shots, he runs hard between the wickets and he’s easily our best player of spin behind Steve Smith who can't play [due to his ban]. Absolutely job well from from Peter Handscomb.

Hodge also had praise for Usman Khawaja, who has made 50, 38, 104 and 91 in four ODIs in India after scores of 59, 21 and 34 in the home series against the same team in January, which were his first ODIs in two years.

Usman Khawaja followed up his century in Ranchi with 91 in Mohali | GettyHodge said about Khawaja, “I’m particularly impressed with Usman Khawaja’s play. Just the elegance and style and attack in these last two games, he’s had a pretty good strike-rate as well. I like the way he’s come back into this side and filled the void. Going forward, he’s not going to have to press hard to open the batting. At the moment, he’s our No 1 player and deserves his spot.

(ESPNCricinfo inputs)

 
 

By Jatin Sharma - 11 Mar, 2019

    Share Via