Finch seeks inspiration from his track record

A losing team with a woefully out-of-form leader at the helm isn't the best thing to happen to Australia, that's already reeling from the ball-tampering ghosts of the past. And they will desperately want Aaron Finch, who feels he's "still a very good player", to return to form come the series-deciding final One-Day International in Melbourne on Friday.

"Maybe I've been too tentative in the last couple of games, letting a bit of pressure build up," Finch confessed on Thursday (January 17) in Melbourne. "It's always a fine balance between attack and hanging in there and waiting for the right time to sort of be aggressive and take on the game. I still feel I'm a very good player. I think 13 international hundreds suggest that I do know what is required."

Finch made his Test debut against Pakistan in October 2018 in Dubai, when he scored 62 and 49 in Dubai, but ever since, he has been struggling to adapt his game to the limited-overs format. He looked out of sorts in the Test series against India and somehow managed to sustain his bad form in the ODIs too.

"It's just a case of getting through that initial part and probably looking to put a bit of pressure back on the bowler. I think at the moment I've just been a little bit tentative in my thought process and in my footwork at times. I think it's just about going back to my natural game and just letting that flow and finding the right rhythm."

A CricViz stat revealed how Finch has struggled since he has started to play both red-ball and white-ball formats. Before his Test debut, Finch averaged 16.30 against balls that would have gone on to hit his stumps, striking at an impressive 97.80. But since then, Finch's been averaging 2.5 and striking at 33 against the same deliveries. And hasn't Bhuvneshwar Kumar exploited that this series.

"I've had a chance to go back and have a look at some footage," Finch said, "and see what's worked really well when I've got hundreds for Australia and felt like I've been playing really well. It's just about making sure that I give myself the best chance."

Australia have five ODIs lined up against India in India, followed by five against Pakistan in the UAE or Pakistan; the schedule for the latter hasn't been confirmed. There's a one-month gap between the two series, which is what Finch's looking forward to in order to recharge himself.

"India at home and then away followed by Pakistan in the UAE," Finch said of Australia's upcoming season. "It doesn't get much tougher than that in terms of conditions and opposition. After this series it's just a bit of Big Bash. The Renegades schedule has a few breaks in it as well which will be really crucial. Just a time, like I said leading into this series, to recharge and just get back to getting out there and trying to slog a few around.

"April is going to be some time off, which is a month off after the Dubai series (ODIs against Pakistan), before we head up to Brisbane for a camp before the World Cup. So that'll be the first real long break that I've had in a long time. That will be an opportunity to go on a quick holiday with my wife which hasn't happened in the five-and-a-half years we've been together. It'll be nice."