The injury to Mitchell Marsh has offered Steve Smith an opportunity to bat at the crucial No. 3 spot against India in the three-match T20 series beginning here on Tuesday.
Australian skipper Aaron Finch backed the experienced campaigner for the job during a virtual press conference on the eve of the series-opener.
“Most likely, Smith will bat at No. 3 with Mitch Marsh being out. We know the quality we have with Smith. He is one of the best to have ever played the game. With his skill, tactics and game sense he has, we are confident that he can play any role given to him really well,” said the skipper.
About Tim David’s debut for Australia on Tuesday, Finch said, “Tim has been super impressive for a while in T20 cricket. He has the power and shown that in different parts of the world. He is a great all-round package for us with his ability on the field and ability to bowl a few overs”.
About Virat Kohli, Finch said, “You would be a very, very brave man to write off Virat at any stage. He has shown for 15 years now that he is one of the greatest players of all time. Particularly in T20 cricket, he is someone who has developed his game and grown his game over for such a long period. You are always trying to prepare to the best of your ability when you are coming up against Virat”.
Rahul’s admission
Later, vice-captain K.L. Rahul admitted India committed several mistakes during the last T20 World Cup and the recent Asia Cup. “Across various skill-sets, we performed only to about 80-85% of our potential [in Dubai]. We were not very, very good in terms of batting, or excellent in bowling and fielding. There are a few things that we need to fix. As I see it, you only win big tournaments only if all these three things are done well. No individual can help you win a big tournament single-handedly.
“When we played the last World Cup and the Asia Cup, we made different mistakes. So there are learnings for us as individuals and as a team. I think it is very clear to everyone watching the game and for us representing our country. We know what mistakes we’ve made and we try to learn from them”.
