Finch’s juggling act leaves him exposed for Tests

Selectors meet today to choose the Test squad as Australian cricket scrambles to find a path back towards respectability.

Incumbent Test opening batsman Aaron Finch has not played a first-class game since Australia’s series against Pakistan in the UAE. Picture: Getty Images

Selectors meet today to choose the Test squad as Australian cricket scrambles to find a path back ­towards respectability and success.

Everywhere you look there is a problem. Aaron Finch has not played a red-ball game since the UAE and complained earlier in the week that it was hard to adapt from one-day to T20 cricket.

A newcomer to Tests, his only warm-up for the Test matches will be Victoria’s Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland in six days.

Glenn Maxwell is in the same boat, but suffered the frustration of missing both Tests and first-class matches.

The Australian understands the fast bowlers — Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood — will all be rested from the next Shield round. The trio played in the game against Queensland this week where they may have put paid to Matthew Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne and Joe Burns’ hopes of making the XI to play India early next month.

Any chance the selectors’ job would be made easier was quashed yesterday when the board rejected calls for the bans imposed on Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft to be lifted.

Simon Katich believes that Finch should not open in Australia and cannot with the poor preparation he has had. If Shaun Marsh moved up to that spot alongside Usman Khawaja (presuming the Queensland player is ruled fit) it leaves the thinnest of middle orders,

Jason Gillespie highlighted Australia’s dilemma yesterday.

“I certainly believe India start favourites,” he said in an interview with Indian media.

“Australia haven’t been at their very best as there has been a lot going on at the moment. We are missing a few key players at the moment.

“India, on the other hand, are very strong and led well by Virat Kohli. I think India have more clarity on what their best team is, but Australia still don’t know what their best XI is.”

It is not just selection distracting Australia. Faf du Plessis ­arrived home to South Africa this week and told fans it was a different Australian side his team had played over the past few weeks.

“It’s difficult to experience the hurt that Australian cricket is going through if you’re not there,” the Proteas’ captain said. “The public is angry at what happened.”

Du Plessis seemed almost nostalgic for the ugly cricket that placed Australia into this mess in the first place.

“There is a transition they are going through at the moment where they are trying to build up a new culture however long that will take,” he said.

“But I believe you should never take away your uniqueness or strength. Obviously there are laws that you can’t cross, but if your strength is to get inside guys’ faces then use that.

“But don’t become someone you are not. When guys are not authentic they are not the best cricketers they can be.

“I really enjoy the challenge of playing against Australia.

“It’s a very competitive game and that brings the best out of me.

“Australia were probably the hardest to play against because they were the fiercest.”

Talking ahead of tomorrow’s T20 match against India, Finch was confident his side could hold their own.

“We’re still very confident in this format,” the Australian short-format captain said.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for us to come out and ­express ourselves, play some great attacking cricket, take the game on and really try and take it to India.”

Meanwhile, Kohli is insisting that if they don’t start it then he won’t finish it.

“Aggression depends on the situation on the field,” Kohli said. “If the opposition are aggressive towards you, then you will counter it.

“We are a team that doesn’t start anything. We draw our own self-respect line and if we feel anyone crosses that line, we stand up for it.

“When it comes to getting ­engaged in an argument on the field, or in a fight as people want to call it excitedly, I have been completely OK playing without an ­altercation.

“On a personal level, I don’t find the need to go and find these things anymore. I have enough ­belief in my ability, I can play without a reason to pump myself up.

“Those were very immature things that I used to feed on in my early days of my career, so that I can get pumped.”

Finch doesn’t expect a war of words, only an intense contest.

“Virat plays the game the way that gets the best out of himself,” he said. “At times that means being verbal for his team, pumping them up, being right in the contest, he loves that.

“You see how passionate he is about the game; it’ll still be fierce and he’ll have a presence out there no doubt.

“But whether it’s banter, or a bit of sledging here and there, I don’t expect that.”

Former Test captain Steve Waugh believes the Indians are talking a big game given their history in Australia and a recent 4-1 Test series loss in England.

A respectful Kohli admitted they failed to take their chances in England but that they have the depth and quality to challenge Australia in the longest format.

“We are definitely not thinking about this is the last opportunity to win in Australia,” he said.

“I don’t think that’s the right mindset to have.

“Whatever series we play, our aim is to win that series. We don’t want to be a team that wins odd Tests here or there.”

Additional reporting: AAP