Cricket news: Australia v New Zealand, second ODI, Aaron Finch future

Aaron Finch set an unwanted record with his fifth duck of the year adding to the mounting pressure on Australia’s ODI captain — but his team still hammered New Zealand.

Aaron Finch’s ODI future is in jeopardy after another failure. Picture: Getty Images

Aaron Finch is battling to survive a personal hell with the bat, but his players are still fighting for him in a significant silver lining for Australia’s World Cup hopes.

The captain’s alarming form slump is threatening to develop into a crisis for the team on the eve of their T20 title defence on home soil, however that headache can wait for another day after an extraordinary Australian bowling fightback clinched a 2-0 ODI series win over New Zealand.

In one of the most stunning turnarounds in one-day cricket, Finch made a second ball duck during an Australian collapse where they were in all sorts at 5-54 and should have been all out for 162.

But a massive last-wicket stand from Mitchell Starc (38 not out) and Josh Hazlewood (23 not out off 16) snowballed into a ruthless bowling performance from the dynamic duo as well as Sean Abbott and Adam Zampa (5-35), which steamrolled New Zealand for just 82 and iced a 113-run win in just 33 overs.

Aaron Finch’s ODI future is in jeopardy after another failure. Picture: Getty Images

It was a record fifth duck of the year for Finch and it’s virtually impossible to see him playing 50-over cricket for Australia again after this Sunday having made ODI scores of 0, 0, 15, 1, 5, 5 and 0 since his last half century back in June, with the horror run becoming so pronounced its now hard to separate the slump from the Twenty20 format, where he’s actually had a decent year.

5th duck for Aaron Finch from 13 innings in ODI in 2022.

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 8, 2022

Aaron Finch becomes the first Australian to record five ducks in ODI cricket in a calendar year.#AUSvNZ

— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) September 8, 2022

It's so hard to watch Finch just get out, take a break bro. This stretch is not helping.

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) September 8, 2022

The fact Australia has collapsed to be 4-59, 4-27 and 4-26 in its past three innings against Zimbabwe and New Zealand is concerning and a big headache has developed in regards to Finch’s place in the T20 World Cup, the squad for which has already been picked and locked away.

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That’s why it was significant that Finch was still able to have an impact with three catches, the setting of brilliant fields and ability to marshall his bowlers superbly defending a threadbare total of 9-195.

“That man can take a lot of credit,” said Fox Cricket expert, Kerry O’Keeffe.

“Not so much with his output with the bat, but tactically, he’s just got everything right Aaron Finch.”

It illustrated the importance he holds as captain seven weeks out from the Twenty20 World Cup, even if he has created a massive dilemma for himself and selectors by digging the deepest of holes with the bat.

But an ODI series win over New Zealand, in which the self-belief of the team triumphed over poor batting has at least bought Finch more breathing room to put aside these 50-over games and get to the seven Twenty20 warm-up matches coming up where he can focus on bludgeoning his way back into form.

Starc struck first over, Abbott took two crucial wickets in the ninth, and spinner Zampa took his first ODI five-for to continue an incredible record where New Zealand has not beaten Australia in an ODI in Australia since 2009.

Former Australian teammate Brad Haddin said even in his darkest hour with the bat, Finch was a vital ingredient of the heist in Cairns, sighting the field changes Finch made in response to Abbott’s first two balls to new batter Tom Latham.

“Sean Abbott bowled those two tight balls, pushed the third one wide, edge to first slip. But before that, he didn’t have a slip in,” said Haddin on Fox.

“To read the game like that and give his bowlers support like he has done, he’s been tactically really good.”

Finch can’t buy a run in the 50-over format.

Earlier, Nathan Lyon expressed concerns for Aaron Finch’s headspace, after Steve Smith (61) was the only recognised batsman to stand up.

Commentating on Fox Cricket, Test spinner Lyon urged Finch to get out of his hotel room over the next 48 hours and speak openly to coaches for the sake of his own mental health.

Lyon said he would have preferred Finch to make a confident statement by striding out and taking the first ball against Trent Boult on Thursday instead of allowing David Warner to face the music in the opening over – but made a point that his long-time teammate needed to be well-supported by the Australian camp in the pressure-cooker he’s in.

“You’ve got to be able to have those conversations … and I know it’s R U OK Day today, but if you’re struggling you’re better off going and talking to someone about it rather than sitting in your hotel room trying to figure it out yourself,” Lyon said on Fox.

“Because it can become a very clouded mental game if you sit there. I’ve been there and done that.”

Escaping scrutiny due to the overriding issues surrounding Finch, is Marcus Stoinis who since the start of the 2019 World Cup has averaged just 17.11 in ODI cricket from 19 games.