Finch lauds new spin ahead of Cup defence

Cricket, proverbially, is a numbers game and there were two numbers Australian skipper Aaron Finch was keen to highlight on Thursday heading into his team's series-deciding ODI against India.

Those being 3-115 and 1-115, the combined analysis of India's spin bowlers in the two matches of the series so far, vindication of Australia's re-cast batting line-up ahead of their World Cup defence this year.

The inclusions of Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb for this series in place of Chris Lynn, D'Arcy Short and Travis Head were made with a view to improving Australia's batting against spin in the middle overs of one-day games after a two-year period that has delivered multiple low totals and no series wins.

The middle-order trio of Khawaja, Handscomb and Shaun Marsh have provided the backbone of Australia's improved tallies in this series of 288 and 298, totals they bettered on just three occasions from 13 matches last year.

With 11 games before their World Cup opener on June 1, 10 of which will be on turning wickets in India and the UAE, Finch said the way his players have limited the effectiveness of India's potent spin duo Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja has been one of the most pleasing aspects of the past week.

"There's been a lot of talk around our batting, particularly in one-day cricket through the middle overs," Finch said.

"The way we've played their spin so far – 3-115 from 22 overs in Sydney and then 1-115 in the last game – I think is a really good indication that the improvement is there and the mindset shift in particular from the last couple of months has been really good.

"That's been a real positive so far. We've adapted to our game plan and stuck to it really well."

Australia will use the next two months to settle on their best XI for the World Cup, but the great unknown is if, how, where and when David Warner and Steve Smith will fit back into their top six.

Should Warner return, it's expected he would resume his successful opening partnership with Finch, with the skipper saying the role his current opening partner, wicketkeeper Alex Carey, would play in the World Cup is yet to be decided.

Having batted in four different positions in his fledgling eight-game ODI career so far, Carey has been backed to open in this series, a position he's filled successfully at domestic level.

Moving Carey to the top of the order, Finch says, hands him a chance to establish himself at the highest level and give Australia plenty of options for the game's showpiece event.

Even if the left-hander's shift to the opening spot is only a temporary one.

"He's been shuffled around the order a lot, so we were keen to give him a consistent position and allow him to play a game that he's pretty comfortable with," Finch said.

"In terms of what it means going forward, we're going to have to wait and see.

"It's about trying to have as many bases covered as we can going into those India and Pakistan series (in February and March) and then the World Cup.

"If we've got guys who can play three or four different roles in the side … I think that gives us a lot of flexibility.

"He's batted everywhere and he's done a pretty good job wherever he's batted."

Australia have announced an unchanged top seven for Friday's series decider, with Glenn Maxwell to continue at No.7 in the order behind Marcus Stoinis and the middle order of Khawaja, Marsh and Handscomb.

Gillette ODI Series v India

Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa

India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Vijay Shankar, Shubman Gill

First ODI: Australia won by 34 runs

Second ODI: India win by six wickets

Third ODI: January 18, MCG (D/N)