BAN vs AUS 2017: Australia Can Play Peter Handsomb as Wicketkeeper to Include Extra Spinner – Adam Gilchrist

Aug 16, 2017 at 12:49 PM

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BAN vs AUS 2017: Australia Can Play Peter Handsomb as Wicketkeeper to Include Extra Spinner – Adam Gilchrist

Legendary wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist feels Australia can give the wicketkeeping responsibility to Peter Handscomb in order to include an extra spinner in the playing eleven during the upcoming tour of Bangladesh.

Matthew Wade had donned the wicketkeeping gloves during the four-match series in India earlier this year while Handscomb had plied his trade as a specialist batsman but Gilchrist feels Wade can be dropped for finding the balance on spin-friendly pitches of Bangladesh.

“It’s just about balance and what you think is the right balance to get the Test match victory in the conditions you’re going to,” Gilchrist told News Corp at the Sydney function.

Australia has endured a torrid time in the subcontinent in the last one decade or so. Since the Test series win against Bangladesh in 2006, the team from Down Under has lost 15 of the 21 Tests they’ve played in Asia – including the 3-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka last year and the 2-1 loss against India earlier this year.

However, they have performed remarkably well during the India series and will be keen to win their first series in Asia since 2011 when they registered a victory in Sri Lanka.

Gilchrist further said that dropping Wade is a ‘realistic proposition’, considering the importance of a spinner on the sub continent pitches.

“The opportunity to play the extra spin bowler, and if you can do it not necessarily at the cost of one of your seamers or an out-and-out batter, it becomes a realistic proposition,” he said.

The former cricketer, who was a part of the team that won a Test series in India in 2004, also said that Handscomb is ‘very, very capable, to play as a wicketkeeper.

“He’s certainly very, very capable with the gloves and a foundation of having been a junior wicketkeeper is going to help him in regards to if he’s going to have to do any long stints with it,” Gilchrist said.  “If he’s saying he’s keen and available and happy to do it that tells me he feels he can because he’s got no need to justify his position in the team as a batsman. He’s doing that well and truly.”

Handscomb impressed with his batting in India (Credits: AP)

At the same time, Gilchrist feels Wade is an important part of the Test team and giving him a longer rope will make the incumbent wicketkeeper more confident.

“(Handscomb is) an option, but they’ve invested a lot of time, effort and energy into Wadey in getting him back into the team,” Gilchrist said. “Clearly they find him an important part of it with what he brings.

“From Matt Wade’s perspective, if he can get a really good run of it, just consistently being picked and being given confidence that he’s in the team and he’s the keeper, he’ll just continue to improve,” he added.

Wade in action in India (Credits: AP)

Earlier this month, Australia’s new-appointed fielding coach Brad Haddin had also thrown his support behind Wade.

“I thought Wadey did an outstanding job over in India,” Haddin told the Big Sports Breakfast radio show. “He got some really ordinary wickets to keep on, and I think his keeping has come a long way. He’s really looking forward to another challenge in Bangladesh, which will be another really hard tour for a keeper. (Wicketkeepers) have to be accountable as a batter as well now, it’s more picking the best package these days.”

Meanwhile, the two-Test series will begin in Dhaka on August 27 before the teams move to Chittagong for the second match.

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