Not all teams can play like India, says Australia captain Aaron Finch ahead of high-profile series

It’s a role reversal of sort. Not long ago, an Indian captain would have been heard talking in the manner Australian skipper Aaron Finch recently did ahead of the tour Down Under. But this time, the words originated from the other side and it could be an indication that the Men in Yellow are a worried bunch ahead of the long series against India starting November 21.

Australia have had a poor run in 2018, ending the year with an ODI series at home against South Africa. Although they won a close match to end their seven-match losing streak in the three-game series, the Kangaroos lost the final game by 40 runs in Hobart on November 11 to concede the series 1-2. Australia have now lost 15 of their last 18 ODI matches and will find it tough defending their World Cup title in England next year.

Australia to play India in 3 T20Is, 4 Tests and 3 ODIs

Finch’s side will now face India in a three-match T20I series at home followed by a four-Test and three-ODI series going into 2019. Ranked below India in all three formats as per the International Cricket Council, Australia will also be remembering that the last time they played India in a T20I series at home, they were hammered 0-3 – their biggest loss in any format of the game to the Men in Blue at home.

Australia will go into the series with losses in all three formats (0-1 in Tests and 0-3 in T20Is to Pakistan, respectively, besides the ODI defeat to Proteas) while India will be fresh from their wins in all three formats against the Windies at home (2-0 in Tests; 3-1 in ODIs and 3-0 in T20Is) and Finch said his side will be looking to in-form teams like India and England to make a comeback though adding a caution that not all team can play like those two sides.

“You look at the way India play, they’re generally quite conservative in that first 10 and then really solid through that middle 30 overs where they rotate the strike, they lose minimal wickets and then load up at the back end,” the Australian skipper was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“I don’t think it’s all about going head-on and smacking it all out attack the way that England play, but I think if you can mix and match and find what best fits your batting seven. I think it’d be naive and ignorant to think every team can play like that or every team can play like India.”

Finch recently took over the ODI captaincy from an under-performing Tim Paine and said the team is a bit one-dimensional at the moment.

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