ODI captain Aaron Finch’s dire form is the single biggest problem facing Australia just over five months out from the World Cup in England.
In his past 20 innings for Australia across all three formats, Finch has scratched out just 252 runs at 12 with only one half-century.
Australia would be extremely reluctant to drop Finch due to the glaring lack of alternative captains, with Steve Smith and David Warner banned from leadership roles and co-vice captains Alex Carey and Mitch Marsh battling just to earn World Cup selection.
But Finch’s form trough is so deep Australia may need to drop him if he cannot emerge from it over the five-match ODI series starting in India in just over a month from now.
Regaining touch will be a tough task for Finch against India, whose quicks have toyed with him across all three formats in the past two months. Skilful swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar tormented the big right-hander in the just-completed ODI series, in which he made 26 runs at eight. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah hounded him in the Tests and T20s and should be back to target him in the upcoming 50-over games.
Finch has been a joy for the India quicks to bowl to over those three recent series due to a technical shortcoming he cannot seem to correct. The way in which Finch’s head is falling to the off side is causing him to overbalance and means he regularly is not dispatching balls on his pads.
This has meant the Indians can target his stumps without the fear of being whipped through the leg side. Finch is desperately waiting on width outside off stump but is getting none.
Essentially, the Indian bowlers can safely aim their deliveries anywhere between Finch’s leg stump and 20 centimetres outside of his off stump. That is an enormous margin for error to give top international bowlers.
By comparison, when quicks bowl to the likes of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith or Shikhar Dhawan, they are reticent to aim at their stumps because of how often these balls are clipped for runs through the leg side.
The bowler also cannot afford to stray more than 20 centimetres outside their off stump, leaving them to try to operate in a very narrow channel.
(Photo by Michael Dodge – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images)
At his best, Finch routinely takes balls off the stumps and dispatches them through the leg side. If he cannot regain this touch in India next month, the accurate Indian quicks will chew him up and his World Cup campaign will surely be in jeopardy.
As much as Australia will be wary of changing captains just six or seven matches out from the World Cup, they also will not want to carry a desperately out-of-form opener given the overall struggles of their ODI batting line-up. Australia already face the challenge of trying to reintegrate Warner and Smith into their top order in a short amount of time prior to the tournament.
If fit, both of those banned batsmen are expected to slot back into Australia’s line-up for the series against Pakistan in the UAE starting at the end of March. Australia would love to have Finch and Warner opening and in good nick for the World Cup.
That pair have vast experience, having opened together in 48 ODIs. They are the fourth-most prolific opening pair for Australia in ODI history, with 2126 runs at 44, behind only Adam Gilchrist and Matt Hayden (5372 runs at 48), Gilchrist and Mark Waugh (3853 runs at 41) and Geoff Marsh and David Boon (3523 runs at 40).
But Finch and Warner might not get the chance to build on that record anytime soon if the former continues to flounder in India next month.
HB
Roar Rookie
Warner deserves a place because he scores enough runs quickly--ODI strike rate of 96.55. Smith doesn't deserve a place because others score enough runs more quickly than he does--his ODI strike rate is 86.35.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
terryk: Because 3 of you disagree with me doesn’t make me wrong. The *fact* that *none* of you can expound on why I’m wrong strongly suggests otherwise. So the Zampa facts are; 1) He currently, well for a couple of years if that’s ‘current’, has an above average ability to not get anyone out. 2) He can’t bat at all. 3) He’s at best, an average fielder. And if going back to 01Jan18 was unacceptable then y’all are going to positively hate going back to 01Jan17. Since that date Zampa has played 15 games with his stats being; 12w @ 62.3, rpo= 5.92. So to propose that he’s “found some form”, or that he deserves to go to the WC because he had a good 2016 is dazzlingly ridiculous. He should actually be punted. Of course, there’s still time for you, or any of your mates, to provide the as yet unseen expansive & detailed reasoning as to exactly why he should get that season pass to a Tight Yellow before this thread disappears. Or perhaps you could just “withdraw gracefully”? cheers
terrykidd
Roar Pro
Warner deserves a place but Smith does not? What is your reasoning?
terrykidd
Roar Pro
Of course you disagree Q and at least 3 of us disagree with you. Move on. Bega Kidds .... No.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Oh good. Another entremetier. Strangely terry, I disagree with your verdict. Perhaps rather than just blithely declaring something you could actually articulate why you reached your (incorrect) opinion. Like I did with Jim. Looking forward to your reading your reasoning. btw terry, you're not one of the Bega Kidds are you?
Paul
Roar Guru
Of the guys currently in the team, I think selectors could do worse than make Sean Marsh captain, if Finch doesn't come good and if this doesn't affect Marsh's batting.
terrykidd
Roar Pro
If Finch does not come good and he must be dropped from the ODIs and thus the captaincy becomes vacant then we could do worse than bringing in George Bailey to Captain and bat down the order and move Khawaja to open.
terrykidd
Roar Pro
Sour grapes Q .... you were cut and diced and lost .... withdraw gracefully
HB
Guest
I reckon this is a pretty good team. The batsmen should get them around 285 per innings on average, and the bowlers should be able to keep the opposition total under that, often bowling them out.
HB
Guest
Actually, I'll bring Finch back in (hoping he'll find some form) in place of Weatherald so that we can have a right/left hand opening combination. Warner, David Finch, Aaron Short, D’Arcy Handscomb, Peter (wk) Maxwell, Glenn Head, Travis Stoinis, Marcus Marsh, Mitchell Tye, Andrew Abbott, Sean Starc, Mitchell Agar, Ashton (12th man)
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
You may be on to something there. He does seem to be a good team player and has some tactical nous. The only other players I would say are a “lock” for the World Cup are Shaun Marsh, apparently not captaincy material, Cummins and maybe Starc. Can’t have bowlers captaining unless absolutely unavoidable.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Would certainly provide a few laughs for the British tabloids as Australia’s campaign sinks without trace.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Agree 100% with your analysis but just a plea Ronan not to use Test stats in relation to ODI selections and vice versa. It’s a bit like saying we shouldn’t select Usain Bolt for the 100 metres because his marathon times have been bad. In Finch’s case it is the way he is batting and his recent form line in ODIs that is of great concern.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Well, done, Quetzen. A lot of snappy lines that say almost nothing. That's actually really impressive. I'll happily let the other readers judge our respective credibility based on these comments.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Hero post ROC. Just grate.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
JH: "Lol nice try, Q. Last seven ODIs? He’s only played three in almost a year! " I took 01Jan18 as the cutoff for 'recent' form' which I thought reasonable, but if you want to take his last three then go for it. That means he hasn't taken any wickets at all. "By your logic Finch is still in good form because he got a couple of tons six months ago." Errrrr. 'Yes'. I made that very point in another post (possibly in this thread) that this 'pick and stick' media stupidity du jour was only being applied to *some* players and Finch was the one I specifically named who it didn't. "he wouldve had a couple of not for catches dropped off his bowling". And of course it's well known that Zampa is the *only* bowler in the history of cricket who's had catches dropped off his bowling. (What's that you say Mr Stoinis?) 'His rpo in those three (wicketless) games is 4.92'. Whoop de do. Isn't also well known in odiworld that the best way to win is to get 'em out? "He's outbowled Lyon". So what? The relevance escapes me. And not that it matters, but how exactly has Zampa "outbowled Lyon"? Neither has a wicket in their last 3 odis but Lyon's rpo (your weapon of choice) is lower than Zampa's for both their last three games *and* career. "Throw in the fact that he [Zampa] played 2 T20Is vs India during that period as well, taking 3 wickets (including Kohli and Rohit) from 8 overs at the ridiculous economy of 5.5 and the only conclusion you can draw is that the kid has found form." So you're now throwing in other formats? And all of *two* T20s! lol! But that's cool Jimmy. I get to include Lyon's Test record. Happy days! "...the kid has found form." Says JamesH about a bowler who has taken zero wickets in his last 3, or 2 wickets in his last 7 (post 01Jan18). Take your pick. It's your credibility mate.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Spot on James. Sliced and diced.
HB
Guest
I reckon this would be a pretty exciting team for the World Cup: Short, D'Arcy Warner, David Weatherald, Jake Handscomb, Peter (wk) Maxwell, Glenn Head, Travis Stoinis, Marcus Marsh, Mitchell Tye, Andrew Abbott, Sean Starc, Mitchell Agar, Ashton (12th man) I'm not sure who would be captain, maybe Head. What do you reckon?
Bobbo7
Guest
So true. Finch will come right. But a team full of batsmen that don't go on is a big problem. Kawaja, Head etc make a habit of handsome 30s. And with injury and time there is no guarantee Warner and Smith will save the day. Sub-300 scores simply will not will a WC in England. I see England, NZ and India as favourites.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Lol nice try, Q. Last seven ODIs? He’s only played three in almost a year! By your logic Finch is still in good form because he got a couple of tons six months ago. In those three ODIs Zampa hasn’t taken a wicket (he wouldve had a couple of not for catches dropped off his bowling) but his overall economy across those matches is 4.92. That’s exceptional and he’s been better with each outing, to the point where he’s outbowled Lyon. Throw in the fact that he played 2 T20Is vs India during that period as well, taking 3 wickets (including Kohli and Rohit) from 8 overs at the ridiculous economy of 5.5 and the only conclusion you can draw is that the kid has found form. Anything else is just bluster.