'Too many batters, not enough balance': Ex-Australia captain questions Team India's strategy

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch urged India to reinstate Arshdeep Singh, criticising their batting-heavy lineup for a lack of balance and bowling penetration. Finch believes too many batters can dilute responsibility, and Team India needs the right combinations for the World Cup. He also noted that India's bowlers defended an insufficient total.

Josh Hazlewood celebrates after getting the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. (Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has called on India to restore Arshdeep Singh to the playing XI after their four-wicket defeat to Australia in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday. Finch argued that India’s team combination leaned too heavily on batting depth, costing them both balance and bowling penetration.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Speaking on JioHotstar, Finch said he would be “very surprised” if the left-arm seamer doesn’t return for the next match in Hobart.

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“Arshdeep Singh should be in the team. I would be very surprised if he doesn’t make it back for the next game,” Finch said. “One thing I’ve learned about T20 cricket — when you go in with too many batters, sometimes the responsibility gets diluted.” Finch elaborated that overloading the side with batting options can have a psychological impact. “Batters subconsciously assume someone else will get the job done. But if you play one fewer batter, it’s amazing how often the rest step up,” he said. “India clearly has the World Cup in mind, and this series is part of finding the right combinations to win that tournament.” Reflecting on the defeat, Finch praised Jasprit Bumrah’s opening spell but felt India lost control after the initial overs. “The first over that Bumrah bowled was really good and gave the Australian openers some headaches,” Finch observed. “But after that, Harshit Rana went for a bit of punishment, Travis Head did most of the damage early on, and then Mitchell Marsh joined in later.” He also felt India’s bowlers were left defending an inadequate total. “There just weren’t enough runs on the board for the bowlers to defend. It wasn’t a massive shortfall, but a few extra runs could have made things very interesting,” Finch said.

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