Melbourne, Oct 31 (NationPress) Former Australian captain Aaron Finch commented on the composition of India's playing eleven after their four-wicket loss to Australia in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He expressed that he would be quite surprised if left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is not included in the lineup for the upcoming match in Hobart on Sunday.

After being put in to bat first, India's innings struggled to recover from a top-order collapse instigated by Josh Hazlewood, whose impressive spell of 3-13 left the visitors reeling at four wickets down during the powerplay.

Despite a valiant effort of 68 from Abhishek Sharma, India was ultimately bowled out for 125 in 18.4 overs. Australia successfully chased down the target with 40 balls to spare, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

“Arshdeep Singh should definitely be part of the team. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t return for the next match. In T20 cricket, going in with too many batters can dilute responsibility,” he stated.

“Batsmen tend to think that someone else will handle it. However, when you have one less batter, the remaining players often rise to the occasion. India is clearly focused on the World Cup, and this series is crucial for discovering the right combinations to achieve victory in that tournament,” Finch said on JioStar.

He also evaluated India's bowling performance during the second T20I, noting that a few additional runs could have made a significant difference. “Bumrah's first over was exceptional and caused early trouble for the Australian openers. However, Harshit Rana faced some challenges, with Travis Head inflicting most of the early damage, followed by Mitchell Marsh later on,” he explained.

“The bowlers didn’t have enough runs to defend. It wasn’t a huge target, but a few extra runs could have changed the dynamics considerably,” he added.

On the batting side, Finch commended Abhishek Sharma's knock of 68, highlighting his calmness under pressure, although he observed that the strike rotation could have been improved in his partnership with Harshit Rana.

“This was one of Abhishek Sharma’s finest innings in terms of his composure. Batsmen like him can pin you down, and once he finds his rhythm, he’s tough to stop,” he remarked.

“Batting with the lower order can be challenging; rotating the strike is not their strong suit. This became evident during Abhishek and Harshit’s partnership, which is an area India will need to address,” he continued.

“Moreover, I think Mitchell Marsh captained exceptionally well, ensuring that Abhishek was often stranded at the other end during the first innings,” he concluded.