T20 & ODI tour of India.

[K]

4/240 (48.2).

Yet another Oz loss.

Make that 4 wins out of the last 28 ODIs (25 completed).
Winning %: 16%.

[Pies4shaw]

They are batting one short with Finch at the top of the order. He's been a good player but he has looked very poor at international level this season, as well as in domestic T20s for the Renegades. He simply looks like he can't take the game by the scruff of the neck, anymore and he is getting out too cheaply, too often, as well.

If Warner and Smith get back, a lineup of Warner, Short, Stoinis, Smith, Maxwell, Hanscomb looks a little more likely to make a competitive score than the current one. Turner and Carey may improve, too, of course and take one or two of those top 6 spots but, watching last night, the real problem was that Maxwell couldn't step up the pace early enough because (as it appeared from this distance) he had no confidence in the batting coming behind him. Rightly so, too.

Meanwhile, our position is not as bad as some: England had a chance to win their 5-game ODI series against the WIndies overnight. Instead, they collapsed from 5/111 to be all out for 113 and then watched the WIndies chase down the target with 227 balls to spare (that's right, almost 38 overs were not required). Funny stuff.

[K]

Though Warner & Smith did play in a lot of those past 28 ODIs. We'll have to see how much time out of the game and elbow injuries have affected their batting, too.

I wonder which teams have worse ODI records in the past two years.

[Pies4shaw]

I did say they'd be part of a lineup "a little more likely to make a competitive score than the current one". I didn't predict they'd win the World Cup.

[K]

Finch's form an issue as World Cup nears

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/ca-sticking-with-luckless-finch-as-world-cup-nears-20190303-p511hg.html

"His latest duck ... sent Finch's ODI average for the season plummeting to 11.85. In T20s, where Finch’s captaincy record this season is strong, his season average is an even uglier 7.50.

These aren’t sustainable numbers. The question is how much more rope will he be given. Finch is in some ways fortunate that there is no obvious man to replace him as skipper, either now or in less than a month’s time ...

There is a fringe group in the Australian cricket commentariat, including Mitchell Johnson, who suggest Glenn Maxwell could take over, but it is hard to envisage CA making such a bold call, nor Maxwell willingly assuming the leadership from his close friend."

[K]

Brettig argues that...

Aaron Finch needs a break, not the sack

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/26131998/aaron-finch-needs-break-not-sack .

Brettig acknowledges Finch's technical limitations ---

"As was to be seen during the Test series against India, Finch's longstanding technical weakness against the ball moving back into him created enormous trouble, compounded further when a paceman as skillful and persistent as Jasprit Bumrah was also to take the occasional ball away towards the slips. These challenges provided Finch with a dilemma he had experienced in the past for Victoria, but never before under the scrutiny of Test matches."

--- but argues Finch has been harmed by the frequency of format changes, quoting Finch himself:

' "In the UAE my technique really tightened up," he said in November. "Those technique changes have probably hurt me a bit in the one-dayers - I am not quite as free. It's a more focused technique on keeping everything tight and straight and simple. It's a few changes that are simple but I feel they give me the best chance in the longer format." '

[Donny]

Second ODI.

India sent in.

2/43 after 11 overs.

[K]

3/75 (17).

Lyon just picked up Rayudu LBW (review rejected).

Oz going for spin: Maxwell, Zampa, Lyon...

[Donny]

3/97 after 20 overs.

Kohli 43*.

[Donny]

5/171 in the 33rd. over.

Kohli 66*.

[Donny]

Stunned silence as Dhoni is out, first ball.

Zampa (2/47) on a hatty.

6/171.

[K]

... but probably a little more noise as Kohli notches up a century.
115* (118)
7/244 with 3 1/2 overs to go.
...

Update: Out to Cummins at the start of the 48th over. That helps, but India are already near 250. Oh, another wicket. Cummins has 4 and is a chance for 5.

[K]

India lost their last 4 wickets for 12 runs in 16 balls.

But 250 may be more than enough.

[Donny]

After 4 overs, 0/25.

Finch 14*, Khawaja 7*

[Donny]

How come Bumrah and Kholi have their first names (Jasprit & Virat) on their playing shirts and the others don't ?