Nov 12th, 2018

Nov 12th, 2018

Unorthodox Victorian batsman Peter Handscomb should earn a Test recall this summer, says former Australian paceman Ryan Harris.

Handscomb found form in his last Sheffield Shield match, making 123 against South Australia, and had a strong JLT Cup.

He missed out on a recall for Australia's Tests against Pakistan in the UAE, having been dropped from the Australian side during last summer's Ashes. After a brilliant maiden summer in which he made two centuries and two half-centuries, plus three not-outs, the right-hander has been unable to cement a spot despite a Test average of 43.63.

He played one Test on the tour of South Africa earlier this year and Harris reckons it's time to give the 27-year-old another opportunity.

Peter Handscomb celebrates his ton against South Australia. (AAP)

“He [Handscomb] would be one I would like to see in there,” Harris told SEN radio.

“He’s done a lot of work on his technique, he’s done a lot of work on his game and he’s gone away and made quite a few runs.

“He made a hundred in Shield cricket and four or five fifties in a row in JLT, so he’s probably one who could potentially come in.”

Australia begins its home Test campaign against India on December 6 in Adelaide. With four Tests against India and two against Sri Lanka, there is ample time for players to impress this summer before the 2019 Ashes tour of England.

With David Warner and Steve Smith missing, Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne were handed Test debuts against Pakistan, delivering mixed results. With Usman Khawaja also racing the clock to be fit after injuring his knee in the UAE, there are plenty of batting spots up for grabs.

Handscomb was a sensation during his first summer, having been called into the side after the disastrous 2016 Hobart Test loss to South Africa. He was the first Australian batsman to pass 50 four times in his first four Tests and briefly held a better batting average than Don Bradman's fabled 99.94. His average after four Tests, thanks to his not-outs, was 99.75 - the best of any Australian batsman in history at that point of a career.