MY DEEP SEARCH FOR ANSWERS
AUSTRALIAN one- day captain Aaron Finch has spent the past few days studying footage of himself at his attacking best in a bid to find the runs that have eluded him against India.
The hosts have made two changes for today’s seriesdecider at the MCG, with fast bowler Jason Behrendorff (back) and Nathan Lyon missing out.
Towering quick Billy Stanlake and leg-spinner Adam Zampa are the replacements.
Kane Richardson has been called up as cover. He is still expected to be available to play in the Melbourne Derby on Saturday.
Finch has been put in the gun too after two scores of six in matches in Sydney and Adelaide, having been dropped from the Test team for lack of runs too.
But the skipper pointed to the fact he has 13 international hundreds, including four in the past 12 months, as an indication he was still a “very good player”.
Finch conceded he may have been too “tentative” in his approach recently and would look to turn things around at the MCG and win Australia’s first series since the Ashes.
“When you are searching for runs, you can be searching for the right recipe,” Finch said yesterday.
“Over the last couple of days, I have had a chance to go back and look at footage and see what has worked really well when I have got hundreds for Australia and felt like I have been playing really well.
“It’s about giving myself the best chance. Maybe I have been a bit too tentative in the last couple of games and letting pressure build up.
“It’s always a fine balance between attack and hanging in there and waiting for the right time to take on the game. I still feel I am a very good player … 13 international hundreds suggests I do know what is required.
“I think I have been a bit tentative in my thought process and my footwork at times. It’s about going back to my natural game and letting that flow and finding that rhythm.”
Finch said the scores of 286 then 298 in the opening two matches, including taking 230 off the Indian spin- ners, indicated the one-day side was improving after winning just two games in 2018.
“We’re very keen to win the series, it’s been a while since we won a series home or away. There’s been some real positives, particularly with the bat these past two games. But it’s still 1-1,” he said.
“The improvement is there and the mindset from the last couple of months has been really good. To be able to get 286, then 298 …. that has been a real positive, the way we have adapted to our game plan and stuck to it really well.”