‘Aussie way’ is tough: Finch

AUSTRALIA skipper Aaron Finch rejects claims his players are tame and hurt while insisting they will not resort to sledging India this summer.

India will make their first appearance of the tour in tonight’s Twenty20 clash against Australia at the Gabba.

The three-match T20 series is a precursor to four highly anticipated Tests in which India has been heavily backed.

India have never won a Test series in Australia, however the ball-tampering suspensions to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have left the home team vulnerable.

Australia have been struggling in all three forms of the game recently, losing Test, one-day and T20 series to Pakistan and South Africa over the past two months.

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis yesterday labelled Australia “tame” and “hurt” as the national side struggled to overcome the ball-tampering saga that has also resulted in a massive off-field administration clean-out.

Finch, Australia’s one-day and T20 captain, rejected claims his team had lost their killer instinct after pledging to clean up their act on the field with a new players pact.

“Going hard doesn’t mean you be verbal or in people’s faces,” he said.

“It can be about your body language and presence at the crease or ball in hand. That’s presence, fierceness and tough cricket.

“The verbal stuff is the easy stuff and that gets a little lost

sometimes. South Africa were all over us from the start of that series with the ball so it’s pretty hard to come out and have so much presence when they are so far ahead in the first game.

“We’re still as intense and desperate to win, no doubt. It’s about going about that in the right way.

“Playing hard is part of the Australian way. For different people that means different things.

“It’s not all about verbal or things like that which people tend to get confused with.

“They talk about being tough and aggressive and that means verbal but I don’t see it.

“It’s about your body language and presence on the ground.”