Finch firms for WT20 opener

The last piece in Australia's starting XI jigsaw looks to have fallen into place after Aaron Finch once again delivered at the top of the order.

Finch appears to have edged out Usman Khawaja for the second opener's spot alongside Shane Watson for Friday's first ICC World T20 clash against New Zealand in Dharamshala with a solid 33 in Australia's three-wicket warm-up loss to the West Indies on Sunday.

Quick Single: Australia suffer warm-up loss

The Victorian combined with Watson at the top for the second time in two weeks, putting on 76 for the first wicket to further press his claims to be Australia's permanent T20 opener.

Finch had been a lock to open three months ago but a hamstring injury in the second KFC T20 INTL against India at the MCG in late January derailed his World T20 plans.

While he was sitting on the sidelines, Finch was stripped of the T20 captaincy he had held since after last World T20 in Bangladesh two years ago and watched on as Khawaja continued to mount a case for selection as Finch's replacement with a myriad international runs in a golden summer.

But Finch, who is rated as the No.1 T20 batsman in the world by the International Cricket Council, produced a rapid-fire 40 against South Africa in Durban last week and Sunday's professional knock looks to have all but secured a spot against the new ball on Friday.

With one selection headache having seemingly subsided, another has struck with the outstanding return to form of Josh Hazlewood.

Hazlewood was the pick of Australia's bowlers in the warm-up loss to the Windies, who chased down 162 with one ball to spare at Eden Gardens.

The impressive right-armer claimed a hat-trick to wreck the 2012 World T20 champions' middle order and finish with the figures of 3-13 from four overs.

Quick Single: Hazlewood hits his lengths in Kolkata

Australia were in control of the Windies' pursuit at 6-72 in the 12th over, but a late flurry from Carlos Brathwaite and skipper Darren Sammy turned the tide of the match.

Hazlewood says things might have been different if the match was played during the tournament proper.

"They've got some dangerous hitters down the order, that's their strength," Hazlewood said. 

"If it was a game in the tournament we would have gone about it a bit differently. 

"But I think we tried a few things we would not have done if it was a real match. 

"We got out of it what we needed but we can still improve on execution, I think, and what we were trying to do."

With five genuine allrounders set to start in Australia's first-choice XI, Hazlewood could be competing with fellow fast bowlers Nathan Coulter-Nile and Andrew Tye for just one spot. 

"It could be as simple as that," Hazlewood said.

"Depending on the wicket, it could really be one quick and a bunch of allrounders who do play this format a lot of the time. 

"You've got Watson, Faulkner, Marsh and Coulter-Nile and guys like that. 

"I think the spinners are going to be the key and it's good to see how (Adam) Zamps bowled in the two games he played in South Africa against a very good batting line-up. 

"It's pretty exciting to see him to do well."

Australia likely XI: Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Peter Nevill, Nathan Coulter-Nile, John Hastings, Adam Zampa