Peter Handscomb hails India's 'incredibly accurate' bowling as Australia A brace for second Test

Veteran batter warns of India's relentless accuracy as Australia A regroup in Puducherry

Chennai: There was a time when Peter Handscomb felt Test cricket had exposed the limitations of his game. Now 35, the batter is back in India with a technique and mindset shaped by years of adjustment, leading the Australia 'A' side on a tour that is as much about the present as it is about keeping an eye on the future.

Handscomb did not have the ideal start in the first unofficial Test against India 'A' in Puducherry. But for the veteran, the experience of facing one of the world's sternest challenges in its own conditions remains a privilege — more than half of his 11 Test appearances have come against India.

"They don't give a lot of bad balls"

Ahead of the second 'Test' that starts on Tuesday, Handscomb spoke to TOI about the discipline required against a bowling attack that rarely offers reprieve.

"You've got to attack when you get the opportunity to score, but it is tough," Handscomb said. "The Indian bowlers are incredibly accurate, consistent and don't give a lot of bad balls. You've got to try and find a way to score off good balls. It can be tough when the ball misbehaves, but that's the challenge of playing in India."

The 35-year-old stressed that the answer is not simply to attack, but to identify scoring opportunities even against accurate bowling on surfaces that can betray the bat.

A privilege to keep facing India

Despite the difficulty, Handscomb framed the repeated confrontations with India as a mark of distinction rather than a burden.

"It's tough to keep coming up against India, but it's also such an amazing thing to do," he said. "There are some of the best players in the world here and I'm lucky enough to have played against some of them."

With the second unofficial Test looming, Handscomb's message to his Australia 'A' squad is clear: patience, precision in shot selection, and a readiness to grind against bowling that offers little to hit.