'Tired' Aussies trying to peak at the right time

Eight games, 26 days, 28,000km travelled across two continents, and Australia captain Aaron Finch admits it's taken a toll on the reigning world champions.

When compared to the team's two warm-up matches in cities 120km apart ahead of their breakthrough T20 World Cup crown 12 months ago, it's not hard to see why.

Australia's world No.1 ranked T20 bowled Josh Hazlewood revealed as much ahead of last night's abandoned series finale with England in Canberra, saying the team felt like they were in a holding patten and were "ready to go" now for the sold-out Cup opener against New Zealand at the SCG in little over a week's time.

And Finch reinforced the point after the match when he said his side felt "tired" after they slumped to 3-30 inside four overs before a third rain delay ultimately put an end to the third Dettol T20I at Manuka Oval.

"I think the guys are probably a little bit tired at the moment," said Finch after he fell for a first-ball duck in pursuit of a revised target of 130 in 12 overs.

"The schedule has been so packed over the last six to eight weeks that we identified a couple of months ago that we wanted to make sure that we're in a position to be peaking at the right time of the World Cup and not beforehand.

"So it's going to be important over the next couple of days to try and freshen everyone up as much as we can."

While Finch conceded his side were "pretty disappointing" in the three-match series which they lost 2-0, he said they would move on quickly ahead of their World Cup opener on next Saturday.

"We can't control what's already gone," said Finch, who last night became the first Australian men's player to represent his country in 100 T20 internationals.

"We know how hard the guys train, each person trained really well individually and as a group we trained fantastic.

"It's just about guys peaking at the right time and not burning out too early.

"England definitely outplayed us.

"With the bat, we we're always just one wicket down further than we needed to be over the whole series.

"In big run chases, you need that one in batter towards the back of the innings and we probably were just falling a little bit short each time with that.

"All in all, we're not bad, just a little sharpen up would be nice."

Finch also reaffirmed Australia weren't concerned with the form of Maxwell, who was elevated to open with David Warner rested due to neck soreness but was out for his seventh straight single figure score in the rain reduced chase.

"He's an absolute matchwinner," Finch said.

"With guys like that who play a higher risk game than most, you have to ride the ups and downs.

"With the ball he's contributed really well and in the field his contribution is as good as anyone in the world, so as an all-round package, he still contributed heavily to this team.

"With the bat he would have liked more runs no doubt, we all would, myself included.

"But the reality is that you can't expect somebody to play that high-risk game all the time and be consistent and his numbers over a long period of time are remarkable.

"He's probably one who is a little bit fatigued as well. He's had a really big workload coming off the Hundred and then the series (in Far North Queensland) post that.

"For Maxi, if he gets a really good freshen up over the next few days, he'll come out firing in this World Cup no doubt."

Finch said Australia would have a couple of "off" days next week following their final tune-up at the Gabba against India on Monday afternoon in their official T20 World Cup warm-up match.

"It'll be no cricket commitment at all just to allow guys to get away and recharge," he said.

Men's T20 World Cup 2022

Australia squad: Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Australia's T20 World Cup 2022 fixtures

Oct 17: Warm-up match v India, Gabba, 3pm AEDT

Oct 22: v New Zealand, SCG, 6pm AEDT

Oct 25: v 1A, Optus Stadium, 10pm AEDT

Oct 28: v England, MCG, 7pm AEDT

Oct 31: v 2B, Gabba, 7pm AEDT

Nov 4: v Afghanistan, Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT

Click here for a full 2022 T20 World Cup fixture