Finch Predicts Close ODI Series, Comments on India’s Captaincy Choice

Former Australian skipper Aaron Finch anticipates a highly competitive One Day International series between Australia and India. He speculates that Australia might slightly outperform the Indian side in the upcoming three-match contest later this month.

Finch voiced his perspective on India’s strategic move to appoint Shubman Gill as captain in place of Rohit Sharma, and also shared his expectations for the series’ progression.

India revealed a formidable 15-member team for the series. Gill is set to take the reins of the 50-over format team for the first time.

Rohit Sharma will stay with the team to offer advice, while Virat Kohli, the previous captain, is also on the roster and may appear in his first international game since the ICC Champions Trophy earlier in the year.

“It will be a fantastic series,” Finch remarked from Colombo, where he is covering the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup as a commentator. “Battling India is always challenging. Having Virat back often inspires him to perform his best against Australia. The teams appear evenly matched. However, I would give Australia a slight 2-1 advantage—though not with complete certainty, as India is a strong team. It promises to be a captivating series.”

Finch, 38, is also interested in observing how Gill performs in his first ODI series as captain. He feels that having seasoned players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli by his side will greatly benefit the 26-year-old.

“Shubman has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills in both T20 and Test matches, so I am confident he will excel in this role as well,” he stated.

“He is an exceptional white-ball player, and his captaincy during the Test series against England was remarkable. Rohit and Kohli’s presence will provide him with reassurance and opportunities to exchange ideas both on and off the field,” he concluded.

The series is scheduled to commence in Perth on October 19, followed by matches in Adelaide on October 23 and Sydney on October 25.

India ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal

Series Schedule: