Peter Handscomb Recalls How Ajinkya Rahane Helped Him Master Spin

image-lejvcfbnHandscomb scored a fifty in the second Test [AP Photos]

Australian batter, Peter Handscomb has revealed that Ajinkya Rahane helped him to master spin in Asian conditions.

The two batters shared the dressing room during the 2016 IPL, and Rahane taught him how to use the feet and wrists to open up the leg side to counter the spinners.

Handscomb has arguably been Australia's best batter in the ongoing India tour. He has garnered 109 runs in four innings, with the best of 72 in the first innings of the Delhi Test.

The middle-order batter has relatively looked comfortable against the spinners, despite the fact that his side have been trailing in the series.

Here's what Handscomb said

"Rahane was playing these shots off his back foot through midwicket which I thought were ridiculous. I was like, wow I need someone to teach me that. So we spoke about getting his front leg out of the way and being able to manipulate the ball from there. 

That helps your back foot become a scoring zone, and then if they overpitch, you can hopefully score off the front foot as well. Then all their good balls you just find a way to defend."

After a breezy knock in the first innings, Handscomb disappointed in the next innings, getting dismissed for a duck while attempting a sweep shot.

"India personally outplayed me in that situation. They gave me my scoring gap but without the reward, so it was just going to be a single, but tempted me to hit the ball there. 

And I fell for that and tried to manipulate the ball there when, had that been my third ball of the first innings, I would have just tried to defend, because I was still trying to understand the pitch and what was going on."

Despite the loss in the Delhi Test, Handscomb reckons that Australia will take confidence heading into the third Test, as they were ahead for the majority of the game. The third Test between the two teams begins on March 1 in Indore.