IND v AUS 2020: Aaron Finch hopes Will Pucovski gets his chance in the Australia Test team soon
Australia limited-overs captain Aaron Finch is keen to see Will Pucovski get his chance in the Test team sooner rather than later.
The 34-year-old cited his own example when he explained how making a debut late in one's career can work against the player, especially if they fail to perform on the first try.
Aaron Finch made his test debut for Australia in the wake of the ball-tampering saga which saw David Warner get suspended. However, the aggressive opener lasted only five matches before being dropped.
Finch only averaged 27.80 in test cricket and felt that if he had been given an opportunity at an earlier stage in his career, he could have developed his game better and come back stronger in the team.
He said:
"When you have your first chance at 32 and you miss that trick, there's probably not a huge amount of scope to get back into that side. So I would've loved to have that opportunity at 25 because I think the lessons that I learned from that were crucial in my development - not just as a player but as a person."
Finch believes that Will Pucovski should be given his opportunity at an early age so that he can learn and develop from the ups and downs that he might face in his career.
"I think when you're talking about young guys - especially hugely talented guys like Will - there's going to be ups and downs in their careers no doubt. So I think being exposed to the highest level early on, I think that might seem tough at the time if things don't go well straightaway. But the lessons that you learn from that, the way that you approach the game - the way you approach it mentally probably more than anything - I think is some really valuable lessons, and something that can't really be taught."
Burns or Pucovski? Australia face a tough decision
There has been a lot of debate in Australia as to whether the in-form and highly-rated Will Pucovski should open the innings instead of Joe Burns.
It certainly looks like the latter will be getting the nod, with both David Warner and Australia head coach Justin Langer hinting at the same.
However, a number of former Australia cricketers have called for the Victorian batsman to be given his chance.
Aaron Finch is hopeful that Will Pucovski will make his Test debut soon as he believes that the lessons learned from going out on the pitch and playing Test cricket can be vital to the development of young players.