Handscomb credits India veteran for teaching him to play spin, 'I learnt a lot from him'

Australian batsman Peter Handscomb has heaped praise on Ajinkya Rahane as he credited India veteran for teaching him to play spin in Asia. Handscomb, who emerged as Australia's second-highest run-scorer in first innings of Delhi Test match, said Rahane taught him how to play shots off his back foot through midwicket. Handscomb said he saw Rahane play those shots during 2016 edition of IPL.  

'I was like, wow I need someone to teach me that'

"He [Rahane] was playing se shots off his back foot through midwicket which I thought were ridiculous," Handscomb told Sydney Morning Herald.

"I was like, wow I need someone to teach me that. So we spoke about getting his front leg out of way and being able to manipulate ball from re. That helps your back foot become a scoring zone, and n if y overpitch, you can hopefully score off front foot as well. n all ir good balls you just find a way to defend," he said.

"India personally outplayed me in that situation. y gave me my scoring gap, but without reward, so it was just going to be a single, but tempted me to hit ball re. And I fell for that and tried to manipulate ball re when had that been my third ball of first innings, I would have just tried to defend, because I was still trying to understand pitch and what was going on," Handscomb said.

"For me, it's just about being stronger and starting again. I probably walked out re thinking 'I'm still on 72 t out, I can just pick up where I left off', and you can't think like that," he added. 

Handscomb, however, couldn't replicate his first-innings form in Australia's final innings, where he got dismissed for a duck by Ravindra Jadeja, who picked up a seven-wicket haul in same innings and was named player of match. India defeated Australia by 6 wickets to retain Border-Gavaskar Trophy and go 2-0 up in four-match series. third Test match is scheduled to begin on March 1. match will be played in Indore. 

Im: AP