- Australian captain Aaron Finch injures hamstring in failed run chase
Australia crashed to a Twenty20 series loss to India on Friday night, when skipper Aaron Finch appeared to tweak his hamstring in a 27-run defeat. Finch hobbled off the MCG after being run out on 74, adding yet another issue to Australia’s list of T20 World Cup worries.
The 29-year-old, who underwent hamstring surgery in 2015, was furious after pulling up lame and short of his ground in the 16th over. Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had rocketed India to a total of 184-3 after they were asked to bat first by Finch.
Australia made six changes to their XI but this year’s World Cup hosts continued to pummel an understrength attack. It set a new venue record, surpassing the 182-9 that Australia managed when David Warner debuted in 2009.
Finch and Shaun Marsh shared a 94-run opening stand to give their side hope before a game-changing collapse of 3-7. It means Sunday’s SCG series finale will be a dead rubber, with India having enjoyed a 37-run win in Adelaide. Finch was reprieved on 62, 64 and 67, including a sitter that somehow slipped through Dhawan’s hands in the deep.
MS Dhoni simply had too many runs to play with, Australia finishing 157-8, much to the delight of the hordes of Indian fans in a vocal crowd of 58,787. It was a similar story on Australia Day, when Kohli’s 90 helped India power to 188-3 in their 20 overs.
Bowling looms as Australia’s biggest concern at the T20 World Cup, which starts in seven weeks. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Nathan Coulter-Nile headline the Australian pacemen on the sidelines. It showed in Melbourne.
Dhawan and Sharma managed 12 runs from the opening three overs but added 32 in the next two, attacking John Hastings and James Faulkner with great success. Nathan Lyon, on T20 debut after being called up in place of legspinner Cameron Boyce, also copped some treatment in the 97-run opening stand. Lyon’s first over went for 15 runs, with the lowlight a high full toss that was no-balled.
The Test offspinner didn’t get another chance to bowl, while Hastings and Faulkner logged final figures of 0-35 each from their respective three overs. Dhawan was caught on 42 attempting to reverse-sweep Glenn Maxwell, while Sharma was run out for 60 after ending up at the same end as Kohli. Neither dismissal curbed India’s momentum, with Kohli’s unbeaten 59 coming from 33 balls.
Andrew Tye and Scott Boland, both on T20 debut, fared better amid the early onslaught. Boland conceded four runs in his opening two overs, while Tye’s first two overs went for nine runs. – Agencies
