"Steve and Marnus are both ridiculously high-skilled" - Aaron Finch on Australia's duo ahead of 2023 World Cup
Former Australian skipper Aaron Finch reckons that Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne now concentrate more on having an impact at the start of the innings. Finch also underlined the importance of anchors like Smith and Labuschagne to set the foundation for the power-hitters.
With Australia set to play dashers in Mitchell Marsh and David Warner at the top, the likes of Smith and Labuschagne will be critical to Australia's chances in the showpiece event. Both are known for building partnerships steadily and maneuvering the gaps to perfection.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, the former explosive opener said:
"Steve and Marnus are both ridiculously high-skilled. All it is is changing that mindset slightly away from ‘Right, I’m top four, I’ve got to get a big hundred to have an impact on the game’. Sometimes it isn’t the big hundred, sometimes it’s the intent you show at the start of the innings that gets you to 25 off 20 balls, continues that momentum and makes it easier on the next guy coming in, makes it easier on your partner at the other end who might be going as well. So it’s just a mindset shift in that way."
Finch explained that while Smith and Labuschagne also play aggressively, they follow a different method than the more powerful hitters.
"When you’ve got guys as skilled as them, they can do that easily," he said. "It’s important when you’ve got players like that who aren’t all-out brute force, they’re touch players, skilful at using their hands, that they don’t try to compete with guys who have a higher dot ball percentage but hit more fours and sixes to make up for it. It’s just about doing your job slightly differently to the way other guys do it and embracing that."
Labuschagne has been in amazing form since returning to the side. The most recent ODI in Rajkot against India saw the right-hander score a brisk 72 as Australia won by 66 runs to break their five-game losing streak.
"Travis Head’s such a huge loss for the start of the tournament" - Aaron Finch
With Travis Head set to miss the first half of the World Cup due to a wrist injury, Finch reckons the left-hander is feared by opposing teams and can destroy them on his day. He added:
"Travis Head’s such a huge loss for the start of the tournament because he’s somebody who opposition teams really fear because of how quick he can score. You can bowl as well as possible and he can still destroy you on his day. They’re the kind of players that keep you up at night as a captain and as a leadership when you’re planning for the opposition, because they’re the ones you know, no matter what planning goes into it, if it’s their day they can be brutal."
Australia's first 2023 World Cup game is on Sunday, October 8th, against India in Chennai.