Finch not giving up on Test ambitions

Aaron Finch has not abandoned his dream of returning to Australia's Test side as he looks to stake his claim for a recall in the early rounds of the Marsh Sheffield Shield season.

Finch was at the top of the order for three Tests against India last summer but compiled just 97 runs at 16.16 and was dumped.

But the Victorian said he had taken inspiration from former state teammate Matthew Wade's success in the Ashes, with the left-hander hitting two centuries for the series as a specialist batsman.

While Australia retained the Ashes urn after a 2-2 draw against England, they found it difficult to see off the new ball, with David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris all struggling to prosper against the home team's disciplined bowling unit.

Finch is eyeing a spot in the middle-order when the Shield season starts, but the aggressive right-hander is prepared to bat anywhere for the defending champions.

"We haven't spoken about that just yet," Finch said on Melbourne radio station SEN when asked where he would fit into Victoria's plans ahead of their Shield opener against South Australia on October 10.

"There's a lot of quality players in Victoria at the moment, so getting a game might be the first start.

"I think middle-order will probably be my preferred spot. I know doing the opening duties last summer was one of first times I'd really done it in the longer format, but you take any opportunity you can when you play for Australia."

Victoria will play four Shield matches before Australia's first Test of the home summer against Pakistan, starting November 21 at the Gabba.

Finch is set to be unavailable for at least one of those games, with the Aussies to tackle Sri Lanka and Pakistan in six T20 internationals between October 27 and November 8.

In May, Finch declared his chances of playing Test cricket again had "probably slipped away" after he was dominated by India's pacemen last year.

But the reinvigorated 32-year-old, who has seven Shield centuries and averages 35.90 from 84 first-class matches, said the equation was simple – weight of runs.

"For me personally, it's about probably having one really good crack at trying to get back to the Test team again," Finch said.

"The young guys who came in and did well throughout the back half of last summer did a really good job. I still think that I've got one really good crack at it left in me.

"Obviously (I'll) just try and get some runs, get some big runs there. That's my plan.

"I think…the young kids who have come in a taken their opportunities, Kurtis Patterson and Travis Head, these guys have come in and done reasonably well when they've played.

"Kurtis got a hundred in the last Test that he played (114 not out against Sri Lanka in February). Will Pucovski and that whole crop of young batters who are coming through are so talented, so I think I've got one more push in it for myself.

"If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I'm comfortable with that.

"It will be nice to play a few Shield games in a row to be fair. It's been a while since I've played more than one in a row."

Tasmania's Wade batted at No.6 in the Ashes, scoring 110 in the first Test in Birmingham and 117 in the series finale at The Oval.

The combative left-hander hammered 1021 Shield runs at 60.05 last season to bash down the door and secure a return.

"I think the way Wadey's come back over the last couple of years in particular, to be able to go out there and be at peace with your own game, be at peace with yourself," Finch said.

"To be able to then play your best cricket under pressure in the Ashes, I think it's a credit to himself, but also the hard work he's done on his technique and the coaches down at Tassie have done a fantastic job."