MELBOURNE : Former captains Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting want out-of-form opener Aaron Finch to be dropped from Australia’s playing eleven for the fourth and final Test against India starting Thursday in Sydney.
Both Waugh and Ponting have predicted the inclusion of leg-spinning all-rounder Marnus Labuschange in the playing eleven.
Test legend Waugh posted his preferred Australia XI for the final Test at the SCG on Instagram.
According to Waugh, Marcus Harris and veteran Shaun Marsh should open the batting, followed by incumbent Usman Khawaja.
Waugh feels Travis Head, Australia’s leading run-scorer in the series against India, should bat at No.4 ahead of captain Tim Paine, Labuschagne, and Mitchell Marsh.
Waugh’s preferred bowling unit would be Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood.
Waugh’s successor, Ponting too feels that Finch should be dropped and Labuschagne needs to be included in the playing eleven.
Finch has had a dismal series so far, averaging just 16 while opening the batting with 50 of his runs coming in the first innings of the second Test in Perth.
“I’ve seen Labuschagne has come into the line-up so to me straightaway that means Finch has to miss out and Usman will open the batting, I’d imagine,” Ponting told cricket.Com.Au.
“That’s how it looks – Labuschagne probably bats four, Head five and Mitch Marsh six – I think that’s the way they’re going to line up.
“I can’t really think what else they can do. The selectors and the captain and coach have obviously had a long chat about what they want and what they expect. We’ll see how they line up,” he added. (AGENCIES)
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