Last Update: March 17, 2023, 23:13 IST
Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami (BCCI photo)
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has cited the emergence of some talented fast bowlers in recent times as the reason for his confidence in India’s pace attack in Test cricket.
As the World Test Championship (WTC) final draws closer, speculation is rife about the biggest red-ball encounter between India and Australia. While fans and pundits have started picking their bets for the summit clash, former Australian skipper Aaron Finch feels India can get an upper hand against the Aussies.
Finch cited the emergence of some talented fast bowlers in recent times as the reason for his confidence. Speaking to Hindustan Times during Legends Cricket league in Doha, Qatar, the veteran batsman said India’s seam attack comprises “the world’s top bowlers” who can breathe fire on the pacer-friendly track of the Kennington Oval.
Aaron Finch particularly praised Mohammed Siraj and highlighted the 29-year-old pacer’s ability to swing the new ball. Other fast bowlers like Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami could also play a vital role in the WTC final in which “India have a huge chance”, according to the former Australian opener.
“When you look at Shami, Umesh and Siraj, these guys are really good fast bowlers. The way he can swing the ball, Siraj is among the top bowlers in the world at the moment. Last time he beat England in England. So India have a lot of bases covered, whether they play one or two spinners,” explained Finch.
When questioned about the Australian unit, Aaron Finch was quick to predict that the team would “not play three spinners”. Captain Pat Cummins, who missed the last two Tests of the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to family commitments, is expected to join the squad in the WTC final and will lead the Australian pace attack.
Talking about Australia’s performance in the recent Test series in India, Finch believed that the Cummins-led brigade could beat the hosts if their batting unit was able to avoid a major collapse like in the second innings of the Delhi Test. was successful in what was, in his words, “an hour of madness”. The batting maestro praised the Baggy Greens for making a spectacular comeback in the third Test after suffering a lot of humiliation in the first two.
“Australia batted a bit long and deep in the game. It would have been easy for him to bow down after losing the toss in the third Test. But the way he approached and bowled on the first morning, it was fantastic. And then to take the lead and get ahead in the game was also pretty great. They deserved to win that match,” said Finch.
Due to their victory in the third Test, Australia secured their place in the WTC final. On the other hand, India made their way into the game in dramatic fashion after New Zealand beat Sri Lanka in the first match of the two-Test home series. WTC Finals 2023 is scheduled to start from 7th June.
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