Perth [Australia], October 19 : Ahead of the three-match series between Australia and India, former skipper Aaron Finch believes the hosts' rivalry with the Men in Blue brings out the best in both teams but insists there's no extra burden on the Mitchell Marsh-led side to assert dominance.
The three-match ODI series against India will start in Perth on Sunday. While Australia will be without their captain, Pat Cummins, the presence of Starc, Hazlewood, and Zampa still offers plenty of experience and support to much younger/fringe talent, such as Nathan Ellis, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Xavier Bartlett.
Speaking ahead of the first ODI, JioStar expert Aaron Finch praised young fast bowler Bartlett, calling him one of the most promising talents in Australian cricket.
"I don't think there's any extra pressure on Australia to dominate the home series against India. Both teams have had success at home and away in the one-day format. The important thing is that players are always representing everyone who supports cricket in their country. Wearing your national cap is a great honour, and that responsibility drives you. You can't try harder than what you already give," Finch said while speaking to JioStar.
"There's a lot of exciting depth in Australian cricket right now. Xavier Bartlett, for example, is a young player who really excites me. Watching him bowl in the Sheffield Shield or for Australia shows he has the temperament, consistency, and energy to challenge opponents. He enjoys the challenge, gives everything, and is learning constantly. He's developing his game and will likely push for opportunities over the next couple of years. Bartlett is a fast bowler with accuracy and consistency. As he continues to grow, I think he will become a fantastic player for Australia," he added.
In the T20Is, Bartlett has featured in 11 matches, taking 15 wickets at an impressive average of 17.06, while conceding runs at an economy rate of 7.38. His best bowling figures in the shortest format of the game are 3/13. In ODIs, the fast-bowler has played 4 matches, taking 12 wickets from 31.1 overs at a remarkable average of 10.66. His best figures in the 50-over format are 4/17.
In first-class cricket, the 26-year-old player has played 28 matches, taking 94 wickets at an average of 26.62. His best bowling figures in an innings are 5/32, while his best match haul stands at 7/96. Conceding runs at an economy of 3.12 and a strike rate of 51.1, Bartlett has been a consistent performer with the red ball. He has claimed six five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket match hauls, underlining his effectiveness as a strike bowler in the longer format.
ODI Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna.
Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (C), Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Short, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Hazlewood, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
