NEW DELHI: Following India’s four-wicket defeat to Australia in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), former Australian captain Aaron Finch has called for the immediate reinstatement of Arshdeep Singh to the playing XI. Finch argued that India’s current team composition relies excessively on batting depth, which he believes compromises both overall team balance and bowling effectiveness.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Finch expressed his strong belief that Arshdeep Singh’s return for the next match in Hobart would be “very surprising.” He highlighted a key lesson from T20 cricket: when a team fields too many batters, it can inadvertently dilute individual responsibility. “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,” Finch explained. He further emphasized that this series is vital for India to discover the ideal combinations needed to win the upcoming World Cup.
Reflecting on the match, Finch praised Jasprit Bumrah’s initial bowling spell, noting it caused significant trouble for the Australian openers. However, he observed that India lost control after those early overs, with Harshit Rana conceding runs and Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh capitalizing on the bowling. Finch concluded that the Indian team simply didn’t post a high enough total for their bowlers to defend effectively. “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,” he stated.