True grit facing a Boxing Day blockbuster

a compound fracture as the finger swelled up and he was rushed straight to hospital.

X-rays cleared him of a fracture and coach Justin Langer has declared Finch is in no doubt for a dream maiden Boxing Day Test in front of friends, family and 90,000 Victorians, fresh from a confidence-boosting 50 in Perth.

However, the positive diagnosis and the fact Finch only lasted one ball when he came back from being retired hurt on day four, belied the mental and physical toughness it took for the boy from the bush to put himself back out in the line of fire.

There was plenty of prePerth focus on Tim Paine’s grit and grunt after repeated finger injuries, but Finch’s digit has been absolutely brutalised this summer.

During a vicious centrewicket session leading into his first one-dayer as Australian captain back in November, Finch threw his bat in agony as he was struck by Mitchell Starc.

Starc got him again with a nasty blow leading into his first Test on home soil in Adelaide.

The trauma was exposed by Shami’s roaring short ball but medical staff were able to patch Finch up again.

Finch’s old-fashioned hardiness can be used as a further inspiration by an Australian side that’s learning how to play hard cricket the right way.

An example has been set by Paine and Finch this summer that has liberated the Australian dressing room, according to fast bowler Mitchell Starc.

“Finchy said it in the onedayers earlier in the summer that the tables would turn eventually with how hard we were working and learning,” Starc said. “I think this week was a good one for the whole group just to see that we are continuing to learn and get better each day.

“It was a little bit of reward for a lot of people — support staff and players.”

Peter Handscomb remains firmly in the gun and there’s a feeling that he is likely to be axed for all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

Australia will be wary of a notoriously flat MCG pitch and of burning out the quicks after two Test matches in quick succession and still more than half of the Test summer to come.

Handscomb’s technique has been slammed by ex-players and selectors may feel they can’t afford to let him learn on the run.