Felt like I was playing a PlayStation game: Will Pucovski on facing Jasprit Bumrah
Will Pucovski made his Test debut against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground last month. It didn't seem the 23-year-old was playing his first international game as he scored a confident 110-ball 62 against the Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian attack.
The Australian team management wished to hand Will Pucovski his maiden Test cap multiple times before. However, his concussion problems did not allow him to don the famous baggy green. The wait finally ended at the SCG.
As mentioned before, the right-handed batsman scored a fifty on his Test debut even though the dangerous Jasprit Bumrah bowled at him. During his recent appearance on Cheese Toasties, Pucovski revealed how he felt facing the Indian pacer.
"I actually genuinely felt like I like was playing PlayStation game, it was like International Cricket 2011 or something on PlayStation. They had this view, so I still remember faking illness to get a day off school when the game came out," said Will Pucovski.
Will Pucovski hit four fours in his first Test inning. However, he could not score a boundary off Jasprit Bumrah's bowling. But the youngster would be happy he did not lose his wicket to the premium Indian fast bowler.
Will Pucovski explains how he tackled Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has a different action, and tackling him in red-ball cricket is a challenging task. Will Pucovski recalled how the unique view in his PlayStation game helped him succeed against the Indian pacer.
Pucovski would play as Shane Watson in the Ashes game on his PlayStation. Although he had not played a Test in Sydney before, his experience of playing the video game surprisingly helped him achieve success at the SCG.
"I loved Shane Watson at that time. So, whenever Shane Watson was opening the batting, it might have been Ashes cricket, it was one of the games, and they had this new view. I thought it was pretty cool where you were like a bit of a spider cam above the batter, so you'd be almost facing, and I'd never played a proper game at the SCG before. Still, I had played a PlayStation game there, getting Shane Watson a 100 on Ashes cricket whatever year it was when I skipped a day of school. So, I still remember it, and I was like I genuinely remember sitting there Bumrah was at the top of his mark, and I'm like I know this because this is what happened when I was facing England with Shane Watson," concluded Will Pucovski.
After a fine first innings knock in Sydney, Will Pucovski flattered to deceive in the second, as he managed just 10 off 16 balls before getting dismissed by Mohammed Siraj.