I have done a lot in my career but there’s still more I want to achieve: Peter Handscomb on potential Australia return

File pic- Since the 2023-24 Sheffield season, no batter has amassed more than Handscomb’s (right) tally of 2,010 runs in 59 innings. | Photo Credit: VV KRISHNAN

The last of Peter Handscomb’s 20 Test appearances came more than three years back, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the 2022-23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The Victoria wicketkeeper-batter was dropped subsequently but has since gradually built a reputation for his steady contributions in the Sheffield Shield.

Since the 2023-24 season, no batter has amassed more than Handscomb’s tally of 2,010 runs in 59 innings. He has managed four centuries and 11 fifties in that span. Only Jordan Silk of Tasmania has more fifty-plus scores than Handscomb.

The rich yields have brought him back in the reckoning for a Test return and got him his first Australia-A selection since 2018.

As Australia embarks on a busy Test calendar, which includes a five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India in early 2027, Handscomb talks to Sportstar about the labours of domestic cricket, the changing conditions in Australia, learning from his international failures, and what still makes him Australia’s go-to choice to dominate spin bowling in the subcontinent.

Q. Despite conditions favouring bowlers, you have been one of the most consistent batters in the Sheffield Shield over the last three seasons. Have you had to make any technical adjustments in order to perform better, or is it a mental shift in approach?

A. I think it’s a bit of both. I’ve done a fair bit of work over the last four or five years on my technique and changing a few things.

But also the mental challenge [of it] and making sure that your gameplan is clear. It’s something I’ve worked pretty hard on as well. Understanding where you can and can’t score and what shots you can and can’t play on certain wickets. That’s something that I’ve tried to be really strong at. I think that’s helped me over the last few years.

Q. Is it important not to pay too much attention to others’ opinions and to simply cut the noise?

A. Yeah, absolutely. You can acknowledge that and understand that it probably is tough to bat. But when it gets to the crunch time, when you get out there, you’ve got to put that aside. If you get beaten by a good ball, it’s okay because you’re still out there, and understanding that ugly runs are still runs.

So, finding a way is more important than looking pretty. Do not worry as much about your technique but try to get through your process and stick to that as best as possible.

Q. What is your opinion on the balance shifting drastically in favour of bowlers in Australia? Do you think it takes away from the game a little bit?

A. Yeah, I think the balance has been a little bit one-sided. But then you look maybe 10 years ago, and it was probably one-sided in favour of the batters. I think the game naturally shifts through generations where it becomes too flat.

ALSO READ | BGT spots up for grabs as Padikkal-led India-A takes on Australia-A in first unofficial Test

So then the push is to make seam-friendly or spin-friendly wickets. And then it goes too far and you’ve got to bring it back. So I think we’re just at a stage where we’re hopefully bringing it back. And we can get a more even battle between bat and ball.

Q. Considering all these challenges of batting in Australia right now, do you think you’re at your best version as a batter?

A. It’s an interesting question because 10 years ago I was making a lot of runs. But potentially the wickets were a little bit different then. I think the biggest change from then to now is just my mental state, my mental game. I feel like I’m prepared for any experience that we find out in the middle.

File pic- Handscomb says he has made both mental and technical changes to become a better batter in recent times. | Photo Credit: SANDEEP SAXENA

And then I think I can deal with failure a lot better now. Having had a lot of failure but a lot of success throughout the career as well, you start to understand that they go hand-in-hand and that’s part of the game.

Q. Has a topsy-turvy international career helped you get in a space where you’re happy accepting things?

A. I guess so. I mean, I wish it hadn’t been topsy-turvy. It would be nice if it had been one nice straight line. But, no, that’s part of the game. I think failures absolutely help you deal with future failures.

Once you’ve been through that, you understand it’s not the end of the world. You come out the other side and you’re still okay and the sun’s still shining. Yeah, that helps.

Q. Do you consider playing for Australia again as some sort of an unfinished business, where you want to have that sustained run in the team and play the Ashes again?

A. [The last time I played an Ashes Test in 2017] It was one of the low moments of my international career, getting dropped out after that. And that was a good learning moment as well. It’s an interesting one. I’ve done a lot in my career, but there’s still stuff that I want to do.

But I also understand that if those things don’t happen, then it’s not the end of the world. I’ll still be pushing as hard as I can to do that. But I’m pretty lucky with everything that has happened.

Q. Just from speaking to you now, you seem composed and accepting of things. But technically speaking, as a batter, how would you say you’re better now than when you debuted for Australia?

A. I think I’ve just been exposed to more conditions now. I’ve played a lot more County cricket. And that’s helped me with seam and swing bowling, which I was able to take back to Australia and help in those conditions. So, it’s a hard one to teach, but it’s more about just having experience and having learnings from all these different conditions and finding out what’s worked and what hasn’t worked.

ALSO READ | Lakshmipathy Balaji to be India A head coach for Australia A series

So that’s probably where, technically, I’ve found a few things now. If I look at a wicket and I have a guess at what it’s going to do, then I know what I need to do or where I need to bat or what my game plan is for that moment.

Q. You’ve led Victoria in the Sheffield Shield previously. Does being a captain help in that regard – understanding your game better as well?

A. I think it can help as long as you’re able to focus on your game as well. I think as a captain, you spend a fair bit of time thinking about other people and their game, which can help you a lot because you start to understand what other people are thinking and how they want to take their wickets and what they’re seeing. So you can bring that into your game. But yeah, just as long as it doesn’t take anything away from it.

Q. You’ve said it multiple times in the past that you don’t want to be seen as just a one-trick pony. But it’s hard to overlook how good you are at playing spin. Recently, even Indian batters have struggled to play spin. India has lost series to New Zealand and South Africa because of that. What is it that helps you survive spin in spin-friendly conditions – Is it about intent to just attack, about reading the bowler well, or just sheer preparation?

A. Well, to start with, I think I’ve been really lucky in the way that I grew up with my dad. We did a lot of work on playing spin and using my feet and being able to get out of my crease and deal with any ball that came down at me. And then we worked for years on that. And then that progressed into First-Class cricket, where I was able to dominate spin when I came in.

File pic- In conditions expected to favour spin in Puducherry, Australia A will look to Handscomb, one of the best players of spin in the squad, to deliver the goods. | Photo Credit: MOORTHY RV

That was something that I wanted to keep strong and make stronger. So, then when I had these tours over in the subcontinent, I was able to work on that again and find clarity around a gameplan.

So having experienced a lot of conditions here in India now, I’ve got a very clear gameplan on how I want to play based on the wicket. And then it’s just trying to implement the right play at the right time.

Q. Just to add to the previous question. You play with the Kookaburra ball in Australia, but it’s SG here. Does the preparation change for both with respect to spin?

A. Probably not so much the ball, more just how the wicket reacts. The SG stays harder, so it has a little bit of sharper turn, but that’s also due to the wickets. So there’s a little bit of both in that.

Q. You’re captain of an Australia-A side that has some promising young batters like Sam Konstas and Campbell Kellaway. How are these guys coming up and how are they different from when you were a 23, 24-year-old?

A. Well, I think this next generation has so many more shots than I’ve ever had. And I think that’s awesome to see how the game is growing and what batters are doing and how they’re able to access different parts of the ground.

So, yeah, first and foremost, I think they’re more talented than I’ve ever been with what they can do, which is awesome. It’s awesome to watch and see how that’s changing. And then, yeah, [my role] it’s just about how they go out and want to implement their gameplans and how clear they are in doing that.

Q. You spoke about the younger batters having more shots and variety. Do you think that’s necessary for taking the game forward and making First-Class cricket more captivating, say something like a Bazball approach?

A. I mean, yes and no. I think the shots are great. I think there’s a time and place for them. But there’s also something to be said for just a proper five-day grind in a Test match. It’s not that easy coming over here and getting a draw.

Not everything has to be a result. Sometimes a fighting draw is something special. So, yeah, having the shots is important. Understanding when and where to use them is the trick.

Published on Sep 22, 2026

Latest on Sportstar

1. Live Blog 2026-09-22T06:50:17+05:30

   India vs South Korea, Kabaddi at Asian Games 2026 LIVE score: IND 38-16 KOR; Former Bengal Warriorz star Jang Kun Lee in action
2. I have done a lot in my career but there’s still more I want to achieve: Peter Handscomb on potential Australia return

3. Live Blog 2026-09-22T05:09:53+05:30

   Asian Games 2026 Day 4, Live Updates: India's Parth-Elavenil qualify for 10m air rifle mixed team final, Sindhu loses to Yamaguchi in team quarterfinals — Scores and news