Victoria coach Andrew McDonald insists axed Australian opener Aaron Finch remains good enough to play Test cricket if given an opportunity to bat down the order.
Finch is set to return to white-ball cricket after being dropped from Australia’s XI for the fourth Test against India in Sydney.
Australia’s limited-overs captain averaged just 16.16 and passed 50 just once in an underwhelming first series on home soil.
The question remains whether Finch – dismissed by pace bowlers five out of six times against India – would have fared better in the middle order as has long been the case for Victoria, who are adamant he is not suited to opening.
McDonald, who defied Australia coach Justin Langer by refusing to bat Finch as an opener in his final Sheffield Shield match before the first Test, believes the 32-year-old deserves another shot.
“Would I have loved to have seen him get an opportunity in the middle order? The answer to that’s probably yes,” McDonald said.
“Did I love seeing him play Test cricket? Yes – so if he wasn’t going to bat in the middle, I would have preferred him to open than not play at all.
“Justin thought he was the right man for the job at that time … it didn’t quite work out.
“They’ve obviously made some changes now but I still think he’s good enough to play Test cricket.”
Former national coach Darren Lehmann argued before the Sydney Test that Australia should retain Finch but shuffle him down to No.5.
Finch’s vulnerability against the new ball was exposed brutally in the first Test in Adelaide when he was dismissed for a third-ball duck, losing two of his stumps while attempting a loose cover drive to an Ishant Sharma delivery.
“We see him being him destructive against the ball that’s probably not moving as much,” McDonald said.
“The higher up you go, you get tested with the way you play and we believe that for Victoria he can really take down spin.
“We think he’s a really good player of spin and he can turn games at four, five and six.”
Finch will represent Melbourne Renegades in their BBL clash against Hobart Hurricanes on Monday before returning to Sydney for the ODI series against India.
His availability beyond that depends on whether he is picked for the Tests against Sri Lanka – a series that will play a key role in cementing Australia’s squad for the Ashes.
Paul
Roar Guru
This is a rather meaningless article. What else is the Vic coach going to say "nah, the guys hopeless and should never have been given a baggy green"? Finch has to score a swag of runs and hope which ever selectors thought he was a Test opener, are quietly put out to pasture, then he might get a recall.
bigbaz
Roar Guru
Fair dinkum , this is a guy that has averaged 35 in 1st class cricket for over 12 years , shouldn’t be in a shield side let alone the test team.