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India vs Australia: ‘It was an aggressive move’ - Aaron Finch defends decision to send Mitchell Starc up the order

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
Jan 20, 2020 02:09 PM IST

IND vs AUS: It was a strong comeback win for India as they had lost the Mumbai ODI by 10 wickets but managed to take the next two matches in Rajkot and Bengaluru respectively.

Australia skipper Aaron Finch defended the team management’s decision to send fast-bowler Mitchell Starc at number five in the third and final ODI against India at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. The ‘Men in Blue’ thumped Australia by seven wickets to take the three-match series 2-1. It was a strong comeback win for India as they had lost the Mumbai ODI by 10 wickets but managed to take the next two matches in Rajkot and Bengaluru respectively.

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During the post-match conference, Finch was asked about team’s decision to send Starc up the order after Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed for 54. The strategy, however, backfired as Starc was dismissed in same over as Labuschagne, giving Ravindra Jadeja two wickets in 32nd over.

“Myself and Andrew spoke about it before the first game. We felt as though Mumbai probably wasn’t the right surface, but felt here was,” Finch said. “Especially against Jadeja, the left-arm spinner spinning it into him. He just didn’t hit it out of the middle.

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“I still support the move 100 per cent, it just didn’t come off today. But it was definitely an aggressive move.”

“He can smack a few and if he went out there and hit a couple of sixes. We were hoping it could potentially change their tactics and they would have to bring one of their quicks back earlier. That just didn’t happen,” he added.

Finch also lavished praise on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after the duo helped India clinch the series victory. Finch referred to Kohli as probably the greatest ODI player of all time and placed his deputy Rohit in top-five.

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“They’ve got Virat who is probably the greatest ODI player of all-time, and Rohit who’d probably be in the top five batters of all-time. They’re exceptional, and the thing with the Indian side at the moment is their experienced players are getting the job done in the big games,” Finch said.

“Rohit’s 100, especially without Shikhar there tonight, for them to shuffle and their two most dominant players to still get majority of the runs is a sign of a really settled and really quality top-order,” said Finch at the post-match media interaction.

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