Handscomb stays back to take career forward

Nervous nineties? What nervous nineties? When Peter Handscomb danced down the pitch and lofted Yasir Shah over long-on for the first six of Australia’s innings, you wouldn’t have believed he was on the verge of a maiden Test century. When, in the next over, from the very next delivery that he faced, Handscomb drove Mohammad Amir for four through cover-point, he had his hundred. He had sprinted through the nineties in seven balls.

“I’d been toying with the idea of trying to hit Yasir over the top for most of the game,” Handscomb said. “They brought the field up to try and keep me off strike, so I thought there’s a chance, if he tosses it up I’ll give it a crack and see what happens. But that was only meant to go for two bounces and trickle over the rope. I was lucky enough it went the full distance and I was able to capitalise on a wide one next over.”

Handscomb reached his century shortly before tea, and fell soon after the resumption when he chopped on for 105, but already his Test career consists of three innings, one fifty, one century, and one winning run. His footwork has been excellent during both the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests, regularly advancing to the spinners, and also playing back to create a sense of uncertainty.

“I’m …

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