Crash Craddock: Finch experiment should be discontinued immediately

Andrew McDonald was right all along - Aaron Finch is not a Test match opener and the experiment should be discontinued immediately after yet another muddled shot at the top of the order, Robert Craddock writes.

Aaron Finch watches the ball into Virat Kohli’s hands. Picture: AP

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Andrew McDonald was right all along - Aaron Finch is not a Test match opener.

Finch’s dreadful dismissal in the second innings of the third Test against India - caught at second slip poking wide of his body - was the classic one-two punch.

Finch had been averaging just six runs per innings to balls at his stumps so the cagey Jasprit Bumrah tried a bit of fly fishing in the hope that Finch would be so consumed by the straight ball he would drop his guard to the wide one.

Aaron Finch watches the ball into Virat Kohli’s hands. Picture: AP

It worked. Finch has been working incredibly hard to prove himself as a five day player but that was the shot of a muddled mind.

Finch’s failure was further proof that he is not suited to opening the batting.

The experiment should be discontinued immediately, for his sake as much as Australia’s. There is no certainty he will make it down the order either for his Sheffield Shield average of 31 is hardly the stuff of a Test match anchor man.

Aaron Finch played at a ball that was too close to cut. Picture: AFP

Finch had averaged 18 at the top of the order for Victoria four years ago and they decided not to play him in that spot again.

Victorian coach Andrew McDonald kept Finch away from the top of the order even when he was chosen in that spot for Australia.

Finch’s combined average as an opener at Sheffield Shield and Test level is 23. They are stark numbers.

Boycott's grandma can play better than Finch #AUSvsIND

— Chittaranjan (@ChittaPattnaik) December 29, 2018

Finch can’t even open a beer bottle, let alone a test match.#AUSvsIND #CUMvsBUM

— I’m Archie Schiller for the week (@thecricketlad) December 29, 2018

Aaron Finch is one of the worlds best T20 batters. As a Test Opener however, he is a disaster. That shot he just got out with was absurd. He could have simply let the ball go. His job was to make it to the end of the day, not to guide unplayable balls through the slips. #AUSvsIND

— Peter Dickerson (@Peter_Dickerson) December 29, 2018

#AUSvsIND I’m a Finch fan but he has to go, one of the first picked in the short forms but his no way a test batsman, has to go!

— Shan (@shan4784) December 29, 2018

Why didn’t the Aussies open with Harris/Khawaja, Head at 3 and Finch at 5/6? Finch is nowhere near it as an opener. Gifted his wicket again #AUSvsIND

— BomberBoss (@Bombers_Boss) December 29, 2018

Finch can't play in Sydney. Terrible shot. #AUSvsIND

— Graham Bushnell (@gbtells) December 29, 2018