Perth, Nov 19: A subtle adjustment to his batting stance has proven to be the catalyst that has propelled Australia wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey into the form of his life as he heads into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.
The 33-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is the leading run-getter in the first four rounds of Sheffield Shield matches this season, scoring 452 runs at an astonishing average of 90.4.
“It’s only slight, but at the moment, it feels like I’m in a good position and reacting pretty well to the ball,” Carey was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au after Australia’s first team training session here.
Carey said that he got the opportunity to “muck round” during the six-month break over the winter.
“You play and play and play, you don’t really get a chance to work on too many things.
“Not having games coming up for a while, I’ve just mucked around a little bit with my hands and found something that felt good and sort of ran with that.”
He added that the new stance, where he holds his bat up a little higher, affords him additional reaction time.
“I just got my hands up a little bit higher, the bat up to the sky and from there just try to react. It did feel good pretty much straight away, so didn’t have to search too much.”
Carey not only enters the marquee five-match Test series against India as their most in-form player but also in “the best form he’s been in,” according to teammate Travis Head.
“For him, it’s trying not to overplay it and not worry about too much. I know he’s not. I think he’s in a great space, has been for a while and now it’s starting to click for him,” Head said.
“And once you sort of capture that form, you want to try to continue it on again.”
Head reckons the wicketkeeper will play an influential role in series against India, starting here on Friday.
“You’re never guaranteed that happens, but I think he’s going to play a huge role in his position and in this team.”
However in a surprise move, Australia also named wicketkeeper batter Josh Inglis in the squad for the series opener.
Inglis boasts the only superior Sheffield Shield batting average, an astounding 99, along with the same number of centuries as Carey.
But Carey is not bothered by Inglis’ inclusion.
“I understand it’s a unique position to be in,” Carey said.
“There’s one wicketkeeper in a team, and there’s lots of quality around the country who are trying to get that spot, and I was one of those players one day.
“The keeper’s club is normally pretty small, to have one more in there (Test squad) is great.
“We’ve spent lots of time Josh and I, all the way back from the NPS (National Performance Squad) days and spent lots of time on tour together.
“He’ll join the squad, with lots of energy (and) batting beautifully as well. He’s a mate so that’s always a good thing,” he added. (PTI)
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