Spin test reaps Australia benefits

After a summer feasting on flat batting tracks and the odd green seamer, Australia had their first taste of an Indian spinning wicket in Sunday's World T20 warm-up loss to the West Indies.

Australia captain Steve Smith and coach Darren Lehmann were full of praise for the slow wickets that were prepared in their preceding T20 tour to South Africa, but at Eden Gardens yesterday, it was a whole different beast that confronted them.

Not that opening batsman Aaron Finch seemed to mind it. 

In fact, he says Australia will take more out of the loss on a difficult surface than they would have had the pitch been batter-friendly.

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"I think it was a really good hit out for us on a wicket that was probably the absolute extreme (opposite) to what we played on in South Africa," Finch said after play in Kolkata. 

"We played on some really good wickets for T20 cricket (in South Africa). 

"And this one was really slow, offered a bit of turn. 

"I think to acclimatise straight away on a wicket like this, we probably took a lot more out of it than if it was an absolute road of a wicket and you come out and you can just play your shots and I think it was a really good hit out."

The masters of spin - both those who bowl it and those who face it at the other end - are are expected to play a key role in the tournament and Finch expects more of the same conditions when Australia travel to Dharamshala on Tuesday for their opening World T20 match against New Zealand three days later.

"The wickets that have been on show in Dharamshala, from what we’ve seen so far in the qualifiers, they’ve been slow and turning quite big, even though they’ve had a lot of rain up there," he said.

"At the same time, you’re always looking for ways to improve but I think that this wicket, we probably learnt a lot more about ourselves today than if it was a good wicket."

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Australia were initially undone by the spin of Imran Tahir in the South Africa T20 series earlier this month, but after a torrid first match in Durban where the leggie claimed 3-21, he was mauled by the visitors in the remaining games in Johannesburg and Cape Town. 

It was mixed bag from the Australians batting first against gigantic Windies spinner Sulieman Benn in West Bengal, losing three wickets (Finch, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh) to the left-arm orthodox slow bowler, but Smith's men also took him for 37 runs from his four overs.

Finch says it comes down to assessing and adapting to conditions quickly, whether it be during the powerplay or later on in the innings when the ball becomes soft.

"With the new ball, the quicks come on a little bit better," Finch said. 

"The wicket just skidded on and as there was a little bit of wear on it, it started to slow up and turn a little bit. 

"Three wickets wasn’t ideal through that middle part to the left-arm spin, but at the same time we were trying to be ultra-aggressive and really try and take the game to them in the middle overs and it came undone a little bit.

"I’m sure once we sit down and analyse the game we’ll be able to come out with some real positives from it."