Former middle-order Test batsman Brad Hodge says that he feels deeply for Peter Handscomb after he was demoted from the Australian side for the Third Test in Perth.
Handscomb was ousted from the Test side to make way for bowling all-rounder and Western Australian native Mitchell Marsh, despite the Victorian holding onto a respectable batting average of 47.35.
Hodge, who played with Handscomb in first class cricket with Victoria between 2001 and 2012, says that being dropped after struggling in the tough batting conditions of the day-night Second Test in Adelaide is harsh.
“I feel for him. You can’t make runs every game,” the 42-year-old Melbourne Renegades player told SEN Afternoons.
“It doesn’t matter how you get out, you’re going to get out. The idea of the game is to make runs and for the opposition it is to get you out.
“He didn’t look comfortable last game but he came in and battled in two tough situations under the lights in Adelaide.
“I think we forget that whatever his technique was, he got through the tough periods and there was only one other person who did it, and that was Shaun Marsh.
“You’re going to go through tough periods, otherwise we’d all average 100. If you can still have a couple of tough periods and average 47, you think there is going to be an upside around the corner and he’ll be back above 50.
“It’s heartbreaking. He is a good player, Pete, and he’ll be tortured for a little while, but hopefully he can bounce back and get something out of it.”
Hodge added that the lack of bowling that Marsh has done early in the Third Test just adds insult to injury, considering his batting average of 21.74 pales in comparison to Handscomb.
With the prevailing expectation being that the 26-year-old would bowl often to relieve Australia’s three other fast bowlers, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, he has only bowled nine overs before lunch on the second day of the Test, taking no wickets at an economy of 4.78.
“I think that’s the issue isn’t it? If he came in and bowled 15 to 16 overs, you can probably tick the box,” said Hodge.
Listen to Brad Hodge talking with Darren Berry on SEN Afternoons in the player below: