Worrying stats show why forcing Aaron Finch into an opening role will make him a sitting duck

As former Test opener Ed Cowan joined the growing chorus of voices pushing for Aaron Finch to be shuffled to the middle order, damning figures have emerged highlighting the star’s weakness against the new ball.

Aaron Finch has a woeful first-class record as an opener on Australian soil.

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Australia’s insistence on making Aaron Finch an opening batsman is set to make him the prime target for India’s swing kings in the first Test.

Former Test opener Ed Cowan has joined former coach Darren Lehmann and batting great Mike Hussey in declaring Langer should be batting Finch in the middle-order this summer.

Finch averages 18 as an opener in first-class cricket and will face a welcoming party of crafty Indian swingmen who relish on vulnerable right-handers at the top of the order.

Aaron Finch has a woeful first-class record as an opener on Australian soil.

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Statistics from CricViz reveal that hooping specialist Bhuvneshwar Kumar averages a wicket every 15.11 runs he gives up against right-hand openers.

Against lefties though, his record comes back to the field at an average of 33.08.

Bhuvneshwar played a key role against South Africa in similar conditions to what he’ll find in Australia when he toured there earlier this year, taking 10 wickets at 20 in a two Test series. Despite his middling pace he’s capable of moving the ball a long way.

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As a 19-year-old he worked over and dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for the first first-class duck of his Indian domestic career.

Meanwhile, India’s speedman Umesh Yadav will also be lining up Finch.

Yadav is easily the quickest of India’s bowlers and averages 20.46 against right-handed openers, as opposed to 38.31 against the southpaws.

The 31-year-old 40-Test veteran bombed the last time he was in Australia but he regularly bowls over 140km/h, can bowl a bouncer and is capable of moving the ball both ways against the right-hander.

Left-handed Marcus Harris would perhaps be better suited to opening against India.

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Finch won’t get the chance to practice as an opener in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield clash starting on Tuesday at the Gabba, but will bat at No.3 and is a strong chance of getting a hit against the swinging new ball.

According to CricViz, in the past three Sheffield Shield seasons (including this current one), batsmen are dismissed every 57.6 deliveries during the first 20 overs, when the ball is still generally swinging conventionally.

In Finch’s case, that figure is a dismissal on average every 36.6 deliveries he faces against the new rock.

Australian captain Tim Paine has stated Finch has “earned the right” to open the batting this summer based on his strong debut in the position against Pakistan in the UAE.

However, in the opinion of many former greats, that should have been a conditions based selection, and now Finch would be best suited to a middle-order role at No.5.

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That would involve Justin Langer going with an opening pair of debutant Marcus Harris and Usman Khawaja for the first Test on December 6, but it’s understood selectors are at this stage leaning towards Khawaja moving back to his customary spot at No.3.

India are hoping they can revive the spirit of Kapil Dev, the sub-continent powerhouse’s astonishingly successful swing bowler of the 1980s who was treated with great respect by Australian teams.

Australia is perhaps even more susceptible to quality swing bowling now than they were back then given the lack of footwork of modern batsmen.

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