Australia’s top order still to be locked in

Shield games to decide Test line-up

CRICKET: Australia skipper Tim Paine is backing Victorian pair Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch to open the batting in the first Test against India but admits the top six is not yet locked in.

“I think if Finchy plays for us ... I dare say it is going to be at the top of the order,” Paine said yesterday.

“If they’re the two we go with, I’m totally comfortable with that.”

Australia named a 14-man squad this week for the first Test, which starts on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval, fuelling speculation about the make-up of the top six.

Paine said runs in next week’s round of Sheffield Shield matches and conditions at the Adelaide

Oval would carry weight.

“We’ve got Mitch Marsh in the side at six at the moment,” he said. “If conditions dictate and you only need four bowlers, you could play all of the batsmen and shuffle the order around.

“It’s important we’ve got lots of options. Clearly this next Shield round is really important for a number of guys.”

Paine, though, backed Harris to make his Test debut after watching him bat from behind the stumps when Tasmania played Victoria this week.

“I’ve always thought Marcus Harris was an excellent player, even when he was playing for WA,” Paine said.

“I think his defence has im- proved a lot and he’s had that really good attacking game and can score very quickly. So I think his game is pretty well suited to Test cricket.”

The fifth Shield round begins on Tuesday, with the Test squad to assemble in Adelaide next Saturday.

Harris will open for Victoria against Queensland at the Gabba, but Finch will bat down the order.

Paine said where Finch batted was up to Victoria.

“To be honest I’m not too fussed,” he said. “You’d like to think they’d help him prepare as best they possibly could, but at the same time they’ve got a Shield game to win.” Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb, also in the Test squad, agreed.

“He opens the batting in all white ball cricket with the swinging ball there, so he has got the skill to do it,” he said. Meanwhile, NSW captain Peter Nevill says every member of Australia’s Test attack is fit, firing and in career-best form, after standing behind the stumps when all four bowlers played in Canberra last week.

Nevill was thoroughly impressed with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon’s output.

“They’re bowling as well as I’ve seen them bowl,” the former Test keeper said yesterday.

“Particularly the reverseswing bowling ... they all bowled with a lot of class and a great amount of skill.

“They’ll be a very difficult challenge for the Indian team.”