‘It’s really important’ – Tim Paine on Australia A’s India experience ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Australia A are set to face India A for the second time within a year, with the senior Australian team scheduled to play the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next year. Australia A head coach Tim Paine acknowledged that the experience will be crucial for the next generation of Australian cricketers.

Australia A will play two four-day red-ball fixtures against India A, with Devdutt Padikkal leading the Indian side at the CAP-Siechem Stadium in Puducherry, followed by a three-match one-day series.

“It’s very important. Obviously, we’ve had this planned for a couple of years with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy coming up soon, so to give the next generation of cricketers a look at conditions in India, see what it’s like, and figure out how to play, it is really important,” Paine said as quoted by The News Mill.

Paine praised Peter Handscomb for his ability to handle spin, highlighting him as one of the oldest and most experienced players in the lineup. He also noted that the IPL has helped overseas players adapt to Indian conditions, although Test cricket remains a tough challenge for visiting teams.

“Pete is one of the best spin players in Australia. It is a great thing for him, it shows even at his age he is in contention. Acclimatising to these conditions will be good for him if and when he does come back,” Paine said.

“I think the wickets have become hard for batting on in Test cricket in the last decade, spinning a lot more than what they were back then,” he concluded.

Australia A squad:

Peter Handscomb (C), Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Josh Philippe, Jason Sangha, Jack Edwards, Liam Scott, Brendan Doggett, Liam Hatcher, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Jhye Richardson, and Corey Rocchiccioli.

India A squad:

Devdutt Padikkal (C), Narayan Jagadeesan, Kumar Kushagra, Aman Mokhade, Shaik Rasheed, Yash Rathod, Sai Sudharsan, Nachiket Bhute, Anshul Kamboj, Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani, Tushar Deshpande, Praful Hinge, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Ayush Pandey