Will Pucovski passes short-ball exam

Will Pucovski looks set to debut in Sydney after facing an examination against the short ball in the MCG nets yesterday.

Will Pucovski talks to coach Justin Langer at an Australian team training session at the MCG Picture: Josie Hayden

Will Pucovski is progressing steadily toward his Test debut on Thursday in Sydney.

The 22-year-old Victorian completed a gruelling exercise drill at the MCG on Saturday and returned on Sunday for an even more important examination.

Rain forced the team indoors for the start of the 9am session and Pucovski faced the bowlers in those nets before a break in the clouds saw him and Cameron Green, 21, take the opportunity to get a hit on the turf wickets outside.

Pucovski faced the spinners in a special net that has had deep footmarks scratched into a good length for an extended period while Green took on a group of quicks who had been roped in for the day.

Justin Langer watched closely. The coach jumped in and told Green to bend his arm when pulling the short ball, getting him to practice on a few throwdowns with the ‘wanger’ before continuing.

The pair then swapped nets and Pucovski took on the quicks.

There were concerns as to how he would go against the short ball after being concussed early in December during an Australia A tour game against India at Drummoyne in Sydney.

Pucovski has suffered nine concussions from varying events dating back to a football game while still at school.

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The Victorian, who began the season with a pair of double hundreds in the Sheffield Shield, is carefully monitored and faces independent testing on Monday by a medical specialist.

Justin Langer, who is under pressure given injuries and poor form among his batsmen, grew more relaxed as the young potential stars took on the bowlers.

Pucovski hooked a ball aimed at the badge of his helmet, rocked backward to avoid another and showed no ill effects from his recent injury as the bowlers attacked.

Pucovski and Cameron are considered the future of Australian cricket and a top six which reads: Warner, Pucovski, Labuschagne, Smith, Wade/Head and Green is one to lighten the step of any cricket fan.

Halfway through the net session Langer took off his shoes and allowed himself a little smile.

Greg Chappell told The Australian recently Green is the next Ponting and has been equally generous in his praise of Pucovski.

David Warner also completed back-to-back training sessions where he reported sore but looked to be recovering from a groin tear that has kept him out of the first two Tests.

Warner is willing to “bat on one leg” if he has to and Australia needs him back to give some semblance of order to the opening spot which has featured Joe Burns and Matthew Wade.

Burns was dropped after repeated failures and Wade is batting out of position to accommodate Green in the middle order while also covering for Warner’s absence.

Wade has made a fair fist of the role but is better suited to the middle order.

The Tasmanian said he had caught up with Pucovski since the Victorian joined the biosecurity bubble on Saturday night.

“I’ve had a chat with him. Just chit chat. A little bit about obviously how he’s going with the concussions and stuff like that,” he said.

“He seems in a really good place. I haven’t played a lot of cricket with Will and I couldn’t tell you whether he’s any better or worse than when it’s happened to him previously. But he seems in a really good place. He seems eager to get back around the team and wants to play Test cricket. Seeing him come back into the squad is a real positive that shows he really wants to play Test cricket.

“I don’t know too much about opening partners yet. I’ve only been there for a minute. We expect David to play so it’ll either be opening the batting with David or they’ll make a change. I’m not sure it’ll be me and Will but we’ll see.”

Wade believes Pucovski looks ready to step up to the next level.

“Yeah absolutely,” he said when asked. “I can’t see anything different to any other player I’ve ever played with.

“He looks ready to go and as I said to him just coming back into the Test squad. We didn’t know if he’d come back at all and for him to come back and put his hand up for selection shows me that he wants to be here and he wants to play Test cricket so that’s a positive for everyone in Australian cricket.”