Australia won the toss and opted to bat in the third and final T20I match against India at Sydney's cricket stadium on Sunday.

Aaron Finch-led Australia are leading the three-match series 1-0 after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-t20i-rohit-falls-cheaply-in-174-chase-178589">winning the first match</a> at Brisbane, while the second match was called off due to heavy rains in Melbourne on Friday.

After winning the toss, Finch said, "Looks a pretty good wicket, a bit dry and if we can put runs on the board, we are backing ourselves to defend anything,"

Australian pace spearhead has been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-star-pacer-mitchell-starc-summoned-for-india-t20-179109">Mitchell Starc called up</a> for his first Twenty20 international in two years. He replaced Jason Behrendorff.

Stanlake was ruled out of the series decider after sustaining an ankle injury in the warm-up before the washed-out second T20I.

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Australia wins the toss and they have put us to bowl first <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/yNo3RdNrvo">pic.twitter.com/yNo3RdNrvo</a>
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"It's exciting to have Mitchy back in the side, it's been two years since he's played a game and is raring to go," said Finch.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli's will enter Sydney Cricket Ground with the same combination.

"The last game we played here, we chased down a big score. Even at the MCG, we were able to restrict them to a decent score," said Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

"It's always lovely to play in Sydney, we get a lot of support here. Always a full house and 85 per cent Indian fans here," he added.

"Our intensity was right up there in the last game and we're really looking forward to this one."

Playing XI:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, K Khaleel Ahmed, Jasprit Bumrah.

Australia: D Arcy Short, Aaron Finch(c), Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ben McDermott, Alex Carey(w), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

Australia won the toss and opted to bat in the third and final T20I match against India at Sydney's cricket stadium on Sunday. Aaron Finch-led Australia are leading the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first match at Brisbane, while the second match was called off due to heavy rains in Melbourne on Friday.

Australia won the toss and opted to bat in the third and final T20I match against India at Sydney's cricket stadium on Sunday. Aaron Finch-led Australia are leading the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first match at Brisbane, while the second match was called off due to heavy rains in Melbourne on Friday. After winning the toss, Finch said, "Looks a pretty good wicket, a bit dry and if we can put runs on the board, we are backing ourselves to defend anything," Australian pace spearhead has been Mitchell Starc called up for his first Twenty20 international in two years. He replaced Jason Behrendorff. Stanlake was ruled out of the series decider after sustaining an ankle injury in the warm-up before the washed-out second T20I. Australia wins the toss and they have put us to bowl first #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/yNo3RdNrvo — BCCI (@BCCI) November 25, 2018 × "It's exciting to have Mitchy back in the side, it's been two years since he's played a game and is raring to go," said Finch. On the other hand, Virat Kohli's will enter Sydney Cricket Ground with the same combination. "The last game we played here, we chased down a big score. Even at the MCG, we were able to restrict them to a decent score," said Indian skipper Virat Kohli. "It's always lovely to play in Sydney, we get a lot of support here. Always a full house and 85 per cent Indian fans here," he added. "Our intensity was right up there in the last game and we're really looking forward to this one." Playing XI: India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, K Khaleel Ahmed, Jasprit Bumrah. Australia: D Arcy Short, Aaron Finch(c), Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ben McDermott, Alex Carey(w), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

IND vs AUS, 3rd T20: Ozzies opt to bat first, India have to win to level series

The 2nd T20I between India and Australia has been called off due to rain.&nbsp;

The Australian team were 132 for the loss seven wickets after 19 overs. The game which was reduced to 19 overs and the target was readjusted to 137 runs for the 'Men in Blue' will have no result.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Earlier,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=virat+kohli">Virat Kohli</a> won the toss and opted to bowl against Australia in the second T20I at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

Despite several options, India have entered at MCG with the same&nbsp;combination of players. While there is one change for Australia, which is the addition of Nathan Coulter-Nile.

After winning the toss, Virat said, "I thought we did well chasing in the last game, Duckworth-Lewis made it beyond our reach. If we manage to bat better in certain situations, which we didn't do last game, we should be able to do alright."

Australia <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-t20i-rohit-falls-cheaply-in-174-chase-178589">won a nail-biting and rain-affected first match</a> in Brisbane by four runs, with the third and final game in Sydney on Sunday.

It was a confidence-boosting win for the home team -- their first in five T20s and only their sixth in 23 internationals -- ahead of a four-Test series against the visitors.

"Not too fussed as the pitch won't change in 40 overs. Hopefully, put some runs on the board and put some pressure on them," said Australian skipper&nbsp;

Stanlake hurt his ankle, hence, he has been replaced by Coulter-Nile.

The last time India played a T20 series in Australia (in 2016) they blanked the hosts 3-0.

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Playing XI:

Australia: D Arcy Short, Aaron Finch(c), Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ben McDermott, Alex Carey(w), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Jason Behrendorff.

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Lokesh Rahul, Rishabh Pant(w), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, K Khaleel Ahmed.

The 2nd T20I between India and Australia has been called off due to rain. The Australian team were 132 for the loss seven wickets after 19 overs. The game which was reduced to 19 overs and the target was readjusted to 137 runs for the 'Men in Blue' will have no result.

The 2nd T20I between India and Australia has been called off due to rain. The Australian team were 132 for the loss seven wickets after 19 overs. The game which was reduced to 19 overs and the target was readjusted to 137 runs for the 'Men in Blue' will have no result. Earlier, Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bowl against Australia in the second T20I at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. Despite several options, India have entered at MCG with the same combination of players. While there is one change for Australia, which is the addition of Nathan Coulter-Nile. After winning the toss, Virat said, "I thought we did well chasing in the last game, Duckworth-Lewis made it beyond our reach. If we manage to bat better in certain situations, which we didn't do last game, we should be able to do alright." Australia won a nail-biting and rain-affected first match in Brisbane by four runs, with the third and final game in Sydney on Sunday. It was a confidence-boosting win for the home team -- their first in five T20s and only their sixth in 23 internationals -- ahead of a four-Test series against the visitors. "Not too fussed as the pitch won't change in 40 overs. Hopefully, put some runs on the board and put some pressure on them," said Australian skipper Stanlake hurt his ankle, hence, he has been replaced by Coulter-Nile. The last time India played a T20 series in Australia (in 2016) they blanked the hosts 3-0. × Playing XI: Australia: D Arcy Short, Aaron Finch(c), Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ben McDermott, Alex Carey(w), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Jason Behrendorff. India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Lokesh Rahul, Rishabh Pant(w), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, K Khaleel Ahmed.

2nd T20: Australia 132/7 after 19 overs; match called off due to rain

Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis revived Australia to put up a target of 174 runs (due to D/L method), after the hosts were reduced to 158 for the loss of four wickets after 17 overs in the first match of the three T20Is on Wednesday.

The onslaught by the two batsmen could have been worse provided the match had not been reduced to 17 overs due to heavy showers.

Soon after the match resumes, Maxwell lost his wicket to&nbsp;pacer Jasprit Bumrah and was sent by on 46 runs.&nbsp;

D Arcy Short was the first wicket to fall for 7, followed by skipper Aaron Finch, who departed after making 17 runs in 24 balls.&nbsp;

Finch lost his wicket to spinner Kuldeep Yadav after establishing a 40 runs partnership with Chris Lynn.&nbsp;

Lynn has been on the attacking mode and is going strong against the Indian bowling attack. However, he lost his wicket to spin attack for 37 runs in just 20 balls he played.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field in the first of the three T201 games against Australia.

Believed to be India's best chance of clinching all the series, especially Test, the Virat Kohli-led side will try to dominate the game from starting.&nbsp;

Talking about the team's preparation for the game, Kohli said, "Looks a hard surface with a decent covering of grass. We haven't had much of time here, so we would like to see how the pitch behaves. We want to figure out in what areas we need to score as well."

"The preparation has been chilled out because for the Tests you need a lot more time and you need to be in the nets. But come game time, you need to be switched on. Both teams know the strengths and weaknesses of each other. It's going to be competitive," he added.

Meanwhile, Australia will be without their star batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner, who are serving their 12-month bans for ball-tampering.&nbsp;

When asked how they will deal with the in-form 'Men In Blue', Finch said, " "I would have preferred to bowl first, but I don't mind putting up a score on the board. It is a beautiful wicket. We have played against them a lot. Both sides are familiar with each other. Adam Zampa comes in for Nathan Coulter-Nile."

India, who have been undefeated in their last nine T20I series, which includes seven series victories on the trot will fancy their chances of extending their winning streak against an Australian side that's still struggling to find its feet in the aftermath of the Newlands ball-tampering fiasco. 
&nbsp;

Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis revived Australia to put up a target of 174 runs (due to D/L method), after the hosts were reduced to 158 for the loss of four wickets after 17 overs in the first match of the three T20Is on Wednesday.

Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis revived Australia to put up a target of 174 runs (due to D/L method), after the hosts were reduced to 158 for the loss of four wickets after 17 overs in the first match of the three T20Is on Wednesday. The onslaught by the two batsmen could have been worse provided the match had not been reduced to 17 overs due to heavy showers. Soon after the match resumes, Maxwell lost his wicket to pacer Jasprit Bumrah and was sent by on 46 runs. D Arcy Short was the first wicket to fall for 7, followed by skipper Aaron Finch, who departed after making 17 runs in 24 balls. Finch lost his wicket to spinner Kuldeep Yadav after establishing a 40 runs partnership with Chris Lynn. Lynn has been on the attacking mode and is going strong against the Indian bowling attack. However, he lost his wicket to spin attack for 37 runs in just 20 balls he played. Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field in the first of the three T201 games against Australia. Believed to be India's best chance of clinching all the series, especially Test, the Virat Kohli-led side will try to dominate the game from starting. Talking about the team's preparation for the game, Kohli said, "Looks a hard surface with a decent covering of grass. We haven't had much of time here, so we would like to see how the pitch behaves. We want to figure out in what areas we need to score as well." "The preparation has been chilled out because for the Tests you need a lot more time and you need to be in the nets. But come game time, you need to be switched on. Both teams know the strengths and weaknesses of each other. It's going to be competitive," he added. Meanwhile, Australia will be without their star batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner, who are serving their 12-month bans for ball-tampering. When asked how they will deal with the in-form 'Men In Blue', Finch said, " "I would have preferred to bowl first, but I don't mind putting up a score on the board. It is a beautiful wicket. We have played against them a lot. Both sides are familiar with each other. Adam Zampa comes in for Nathan Coulter-Nile." India, who have been undefeated in their last nine T20I series, which includes seven series victories on the trot will fancy their chances of extending their winning streak against an Australian side that's still struggling to find its feet in the aftermath of the Newlands ball-tampering fiasco.

Ind vs Aus, 1st T20I: Match reduced to 17 overs due to rain, Ozzies 159/4 after 17 overs

Australia's one-day batsmen are under mounting pressure to keep their places after a lacklustre series defeat to South Africa, captain Aaron Finch warned Monday, with a potential shake-up looming.

While the hosts won in Adelaide to snap a seven-game losing streak, they crashed heavily in Perth and lost again in Hobart by 40 runs.

None of the key batsmen performed consistently, although number three Shaun Marsh hit a fighting 106 in the decider on Sunday.

Finch admitted "we're all under pressure when we lose, no doubt about that" and hinted at changes ahead of their next series against India, ranked two in the world, in January.

"Between the batting line-up not having got it right for a little while now there's going to be questions asked whether it's Maxi, Lynny, Heady, or myself or Stoin," he said, referring to Glenn Maxwell, Chris Lynn, Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis.&nbsp;

"It's important that we really nut out the balance of the side and get that right over the next two months.

"We have to either adapt our game plan a little bit around the way the side structures up best or we slightly change our personnel to fit a style that we think can win."

Big-hitting Lynn was elevated to open the batting in Hobart in a bid to get quick runs on the board, but it failed spectacularly when he was out first ball.

Despite this, Finch said the powerful right-hander, a prolific scorer in twenty20s, is likely to open again as Australia look for more aggression early in the innings.

"Yeah, it could be a long-term plan," he said.&nbsp;

"It was an attacking option to put Chris at the top, to change him and Travis (Head), to put a couple of guys up there who can get us off to a flyer. It was an attacking move.&nbsp;

"If I had my time again I'd still do it."

Lynn, who has played 14 twenty20 internationals, is still developing in the longer form of the game, but showed his abilities in the second game of the three-match series by smacking 18 off the first four balls of a Kagiso Rabada over.

He was out on the fifth, but Finch said it demonstrated how he can turn a game.

"We saw it in Adelaide when he flicked the switch against Rabada in that over. Yes, he got out, but he changed the whole momentum of the game totally," he said.

Australia's one-day batsmen are under mounting pressure to keep their places after a lacklustre series defeat to South Africa, captain Aaron Finch warned Monday, with a potential shake-up looming.

Australia's one-day batsmen are under mounting pressure to keep their places after a lacklustre series defeat to South Africa, captain Aaron Finch warned Monday, with a potential shake-up looming. While the hosts won in Adelaide to snap a seven-game losing streak, they crashed heavily in Perth and lost again in Hobart by 40 runs. None of the key batsmen performed consistently, although number three Shaun Marsh hit a fighting 106 in the decider on Sunday. Finch admitted "we're all under pressure when we lose, no doubt about that" and hinted at changes ahead of their next series against India, ranked two in the world, in January. "Between the batting line-up not having got it right for a little while now there's going to be questions asked whether it's Maxi, Lynny, Heady, or myself or Stoin," he said, referring to Glenn Maxwell, Chris Lynn, Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis. "It's important that we really nut out the balance of the side and get that right over the next two months. "We have to either adapt our game plan a little bit around the way the side structures up best or we slightly change our personnel to fit a style that we think can win." Big-hitting Lynn was elevated to open the batting in Hobart in a bid to get quick runs on the board, but it failed spectacularly when he was out first ball. Despite this, Finch said the powerful right-hander, a prolific scorer in twenty20s, is likely to open again as Australia look for more aggression early in the innings. "Yeah, it could be a long-term plan," he said. "It was an attacking option to put Chris at the top, to change him and Travis (Head), to put a couple of guys up there who can get us off to a flyer. It was an attacking move. "If I had my time again I'd still do it." Lynn, who has played 14 twenty20 internationals, is still developing in the longer form of the game, but showed his abilities in the second game of the three-match series by smacking 18 off the first four balls of a Kagiso Rabada over. He was out on the fifth, but Finch said it demonstrated how he can turn a game. "We saw it in Adelaide when he flicked the switch against Rabada in that over. Yes, he got out, but he changed the whole momentum of the game totally," he said.

Australia captain Finch warns faltering batsmen of shake-up for India ODIs

Australia captain Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to bowl in the third and final one-day international against South Africa in Hobart on Sunday.

The series is all square with the Proteas winning the opening game by six wickets and Australia snapping their seven-game losing streak to clinch the second in Adelaide by seven runs.

South Africa head into the game seeking their first ODI series win in Australia since 2009, while the home team is desperate to keep the momentum going ahead of the arrival of India for a three-format tour.

There was talk before the game that leg-spinner Adam Zampa could make way for Ashton Agar after he was hit for 57 in his nine overs in Adelaide.

But selectors opted to stick with their winning combination, although Chris Lynn is set to be pushed up the order to open instead of Travis Head.

"It looks like a good wicket. If there's anything there it will be early on," said Finch.

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who criticised his batsmen for not closing out the game in Adelaide, also announced an unchanged line-up.

"It's a must-win game," he said. "There were a few mistakes in the last game and we will try to learn from them and get better." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Australia: Aaron Finch (capt), Travis Head, Shaun Marsh, Chris Lynn, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood

South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis (capt), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir

Australia captain Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to bowl in the third and final one-day international against South Africa in Hobart on Sunday. The series is all square with the Proteas winning the opening game by six wickets and Australia snapping their seven-game losing streak to clinch the second in Adelaide by seven runs.

Australia captain Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to bowl in the third and final one-day international against South Africa in Hobart on Sunday. The series is all square with the Proteas winning the opening game by six wickets and Australia snapping their seven-game losing streak to clinch the second in Adelaide by seven runs. South Africa head into the game seeking their first ODI series win in Australia since 2009, while the home team is desperate to keep the momentum going ahead of the arrival of India for a three-format tour. There was talk before the game that leg-spinner Adam Zampa could make way for Ashton Agar after he was hit for 57 in his nine overs in Adelaide. But selectors opted to stick with their winning combination, although Chris Lynn is set to be pushed up the order to open instead of Travis Head. "It looks like a good wicket. If there's anything there it will be early on," said Finch. South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who criticised his batsmen for not closing out the game in Adelaide, also announced an unchanged line-up. "It's a must-win game," he said. "There were a few mistakes in the last game and we will try to learn from them and get better." Australia: Aaron Finch (capt), Travis Head, Shaun Marsh, Chris Lynn, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis (capt), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir

Australia win toss, opt to bowl against Proteas in deciding ODI

Skipper Aaron Finch admits self-doubt is creeping into Australia's batsmen after another woeful display against South Africa, but he insists "the wheel will turn".

The home side slumped to a crushing six-wicket defeat with more than 20 overs to spare in the opening one-dayer in Perth on Sunday, dispelling any hope a corner might have been turned after a grim eight months since the ball-tampering scandal.

They have now crashed to 17 losses in their last 19 ODIs, including an unparalleled seven defeats in a row, with batting failures a feature for much of the year.

"You'd say that guys are probably at times doubting themselves," Finch said.

On Sunday they were reduced to 8-3 and 66-6 before Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) and Alex Carey (33) steered them to 152 all out, again exposing how much they are missing the banned Steve Smith and David Warner.

"When you're 8-3, you probably have to go and play a different style of one-day cricket than what you map out in your head about how you think the game will unfold.

"When guys are not performing as well as they can do, there's always going to be a bit of doubt." Outside of Carey, no one in the Australian top six scored more than 15, with flawed techniques and poor shot selection at fault on a lively Perth Stadium wicket against a world-class attack led by Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada.

With less than seven months until the start of the World Cup, Finch is adamant Australia's luck will change.

'Wheel will turn. "It will turn," he said.

"The way we are training and preparing, the wheel will turn, and it will happen quickly." And he won an ally in Steyn, who came to their defence.

"I don't think they need to be too embarrassed by it," he said. "The conditions were tough. Throw another 30, 40 runs on there and it becomes quite a tricky chase.

"I think we outbowled them. I don't think they bowled as well as they potentially could have. That was the difference." Despite the return of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins from injury, the Australian attack was lacklustre, in contrast to the fiery Proteas.

Finch bizarrely opted to open the bowling with Coulter-Nile instead of Starc alongside Josh Hazlewood. He was smashed for 16 in his first over before being removed.

He said it was an experiment to try to snap their losing streak.

"It's just a tactical thing to be honest," he said.

"Sixteen out of 18 losses in a row, 17 out of 19 now, we're looking for something to try, to try some new things, something different.

"If you keep doing the same thing over and over it's the definition of insanity, isn't it?" The second of the three-game series is at Adelaide on Friday.&nbsp;

Skipper Aaron Finch admits self-doubt is creeping into Australia's batsmen after another woeful display against South Africa, but he insists "the wheel will turn".

Skipper Aaron Finch admits self-doubt is creeping into Australia's batsmen after another woeful display against South Africa, but he insists "the wheel will turn". The home side slumped to a crushing six-wicket defeat with more than 20 overs to spare in the opening one-dayer in Perth on Sunday, dispelling any hope a corner might have been turned after a grim eight months since the ball-tampering scandal. They have now crashed to 17 losses in their last 19 ODIs, including an unparalleled seven defeats in a row, with batting failures a feature for much of the year. "You'd say that guys are probably at times doubting themselves," Finch said. On Sunday they were reduced to 8-3 and 66-6 before Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) and Alex Carey (33) steered them to 152 all out, again exposing how much they are missing the banned Steve Smith and David Warner. "When you're 8-3, you probably have to go and play a different style of one-day cricket than what you map out in your head about how you think the game will unfold. "When guys are not performing as well as they can do, there's always going to be a bit of doubt." Outside of Carey, no one in the Australian top six scored more than 15, with flawed techniques and poor shot selection at fault on a lively Perth Stadium wicket against a world-class attack led by Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada. With less than seven months until the start of the World Cup, Finch is adamant Australia's luck will change. 'Wheel will turn. "It will turn," he said. "The way we are training and preparing, the wheel will turn, and it will happen quickly." And he won an ally in Steyn, who came to their defence. "I don't think they need to be too embarrassed by it," he said. "The conditions were tough. Throw another 30, 40 runs on there and it becomes quite a tricky chase. "I think we outbowled them. I don't think they bowled as well as they potentially could have. That was the difference." Despite the return of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins from injury, the Australian attack was lacklustre, in contrast to the fiery Proteas. Finch bizarrely opted to open the bowling with Coulter-Nile instead of Starc alongside Josh Hazlewood. He was smashed for 16 in his first over before being removed. He said it was an experiment to try to snap their losing streak. "It's just a tactical thing to be honest," he said. "Sixteen out of 18 losses in a row, 17 out of 19 now, we're looking for something to try, to try some new things, something different. "If you keep doing the same thing over and over it's the definition of insanity, isn't it?" The second of the three-game series is at Adelaide on Friday.

Australia facing 'self-doubt' after latest collapse: Aaron Finch

Australia were bowled out for just 152 in 38.1 overs by South Africa in the opening one-day international in Perth on Sunday, with their batsmen collapsing under a pace onslaught.

The hosts came into the game having lost 16 of their past 18 ODIs and with the reverberations of a ball-tampering scandal this year still hanging over them.

Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) and Alex Carey (33) were the only ones to offer any resistance, with Andile Phehlukwayo the pick of the South African bowlers with 3-33 off six overs.

The Proteas opted for a four-pronged pace attack on a fast pitch and after winning the toss and choosing to bowl it quickly paid dividends with Australia soon in trouble.

Travis Head got a thick edge to Quinton de Kock off veteran quick Dale Steyn for just one and then D'Arcy Short, in the side for Shaun Marsh who needs minor surgery on an abscess, followed him back to the pavilion for a duck two balls later.

Again the dangerous Steyn did the damage, with Short driving a swinging ball into the hands of skipper Faf du Plessis who held a flying catch at second slip to leave Australia 4-2.

Captain Aaron Finch, who can be explosive when in full flight, totally misjudged the bounce from a Lungi Ngidi delivery and was out lbw soon after for five.

He mistakenly opted not to review with Australia floundering at 8-3 as replays revealed the ball would have gone over the stumps.

The first four of the innings didn't come until the 12th over when Chris Lynn drove a full-toss to the boundary but he couldn't build on the momentum, caught behind for 15 on review after the umpire initially gave him not out.

Another review saw a fuming Glenn Maxwell gone for 11 with Phehlukwayo just getting his fingers under the ball for a catch at mid-on.

Left-hander Carey, in the side as wicketkeeper after Tim Paine was dropped, kept the scoreboard slowly ticking over but he fell attempting to scoop an Imran Tahir ball over the head of de Kock.

Some late fireworks from Coulter-Nile, including a big six, took Australia past 150.

Australia were bowled out for just 152 in 38.1 overs by South Africa in the opening one-day international in Perth on Sunday, with their batsmen collapsing under a pace onslaught.

Australia were bowled out for just 152 in 38.1 overs by South Africa in the opening one-day international in Perth on Sunday, with their batsmen collapsing under a pace onslaught. The hosts came into the game having lost 16 of their past 18 ODIs and with the reverberations of a ball-tampering scandal this year still hanging over them. Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) and Alex Carey (33) were the only ones to offer any resistance, with Andile Phehlukwayo the pick of the South African bowlers with 3-33 off six overs. The Proteas opted for a four-pronged pace attack on a fast pitch and after winning the toss and choosing to bowl it quickly paid dividends with Australia soon in trouble. Travis Head got a thick edge to Quinton de Kock off veteran quick Dale Steyn for just one and then D'Arcy Short, in the side for Shaun Marsh who needs minor surgery on an abscess, followed him back to the pavilion for a duck two balls later. Again the dangerous Steyn did the damage, with Short driving a swinging ball into the hands of skipper Faf du Plessis who held a flying catch at second slip to leave Australia 4-2. Captain Aaron Finch, who can be explosive when in full flight, totally misjudged the bounce from a Lungi Ngidi delivery and was out lbw soon after for five. He mistakenly opted not to review with Australia floundering at 8-3 as replays revealed the ball would have gone over the stumps. The first four of the innings didn't come until the 12th over when Chris Lynn drove a full-toss to the boundary but he couldn't build on the momentum, caught behind for 15 on review after the umpire initially gave him not out. Another review saw a fuming Glenn Maxwell gone for 11 with Phehlukwayo just getting his fingers under the ball for a catch at mid-on. Left-hander Carey, in the side as wicketkeeper after Tim Paine was dropped, kept the scoreboard slowly ticking over but he fell attempting to scoop an Imran Tahir ball over the head of de Kock. Some late fireworks from Coulter-Nile, including a big six, took Australia past 150.

Australia slump to 152 all out against South Africa

Australia have dropped Test skipper Tim Paine from their one-day squad for next month's series against South Africa and named opening batsman Aaron Finch as captain in his place.

Finch, who led his country's Twenty20 side to an 11-run defeat to Pakistan in Dubai on Friday to go 2-0 down in the series, will be supported by twovice-captainss in Josh Hazlewood and Alex Carey, echoing the Test structure.

Carey replaces Tim Paine as wicketkeeper in&nbsp;the 14-man squad for the three-match series which begins in Perth on Nov. 4 and also includes matches in Adelaide and Hobart.

"We expect Aaron, Josh and Alex to lead the side through a big Australian summer ... they'll also be driving our standards and values as we prepare&nbsp;our defence of the World Cup, which is only seven months away," chief selector Trevor Hohns said in a news release.

"We believe the squad we have selected will give us a great opportunity to not only be competitive at home this summer, but it also allows us to start to build continuity leading into next year's tournament."

Hazlewood returns to action for his country along with fellow quick Pat Cummins after both skipped the Test series against Pakistan because of injury.

The third member of Australia's much-vaunted pace attack, Mitchell Starc, returns to white ball cricket after missing the series in England earlier this year and despite an injury scare during the Pakistan Test series.

Steve Smith and David Warner are still banned for their part in the ball-tampering scandal during the Test series against the Proteas in March, giving the batting line-up an unfamiliar feel.

Finch, Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis look set to be the first three names on the list with Shaun Marsh retained at number four despite his poor Test form.

Changes to the squad from the England tour include the inclusion of quick Nathan Coulter-Nile and top order batsman Chris Lynn, who will get a chance to earn his second ODI cap nearly two years after his first.

Mitchell Marsh, the Test vice-captain, and off-spinner Nathan Lyon were omitted from the squad but Hohns said they had been rested.

"We have made the decision to manage Mitch Marsh and Nathan Lyon carefully to ensure they are in the best condition possible to put their hand up for selection either later in the summer or for the World Cup next year," he said.

Squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Alex Carey (vice-captain), Josh Hazlewood (vice-captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Darcy Short, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia have dropped Test skipper Tim Paine from their one-day squad for next month's series against South Africa and named opening batsman Aaron Finch as captain in his place.

Australia have dropped Test skipper Tim Paine from their one-day squad for next month's series against South Africa and named opening batsman Aaron Finch as captain in his place. Finch, who led his country's Twenty20 side to an 11-run defeat to Pakistan in Dubai on Friday to go 2-0 down in the series, will be supported by twovice-captainss in Josh Hazlewood and Alex Carey, echoing the Test structure. Carey replaces Tim Paine as wicketkeeper in the 14-man squad for the three-match series which begins in Perth on Nov. 4 and also includes matches in Adelaide and Hobart. "We expect Aaron, Josh and Alex to lead the side through a big Australian summer ... they'll also be driving our standards and values as we prepare our defence of the World Cup, which is only seven months away," chief selector Trevor Hohns said in a news release. "We believe the squad we have selected will give us a great opportunity to not only be competitive at home this summer, but it also allows us to start to build continuity leading into next year's tournament." Hazlewood returns to action for his country along with fellow quick Pat Cummins after both skipped the Test series against Pakistan because of injury. The third member of Australia's much-vaunted pace attack, Mitchell Starc, returns to white ball cricket after missing the series in England earlier this year and despite an injury scare during the Pakistan Test series. Steve Smith and David Warner are still banned for their part in the ball-tampering scandal during the Test series against the Proteas in March, giving the batting line-up an unfamiliar feel. Finch, Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis look set to be the first three names on the list with Shaun Marsh retained at number four despite his poor Test form. Changes to the squad from the England tour include the inclusion of quick Nathan Coulter-Nile and top order batsman Chris Lynn, who will get a chance to earn his second ODI cap nearly two years after his first. Mitchell Marsh, the Test vice-captain, and off-spinner Nathan Lyon were omitted from the squad but Hohns said they had been rested. "We have made the decision to manage Mitch Marsh and Nathan Lyon carefully to ensure they are in the best condition possible to put their hand up for selection either later in the summer or for the World Cup next year," he said. Squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Alex Carey (vice-captain), Josh Hazlewood (vice-captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Darcy Short, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia drop Tim Paine, name Aaron Finch as ODI captain

Australia, who were set a mammoth target of 538 by Pakistan to win the second Test, closed the third day at 47 for the loss of a wicket in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

At close, Aaron Finch (24) and Travis Head (17) were at the crease with Australia still needing 491 runs with nine wickets in hand to save a 1-0 defeat in the last two days.

For Pakistan, Babar Azam missed a maiden hundred by one run while Sarfraz Ahmed (81), Azhar Ali (64) and Asad Shafiq (44) made useful contributions.

Pakistan declared their second innings at 400-9, taking their target for Australia at mammoth 538.&nbsp;

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon took four wickets and gave 135.

Pakistan made 282 in their first innings while Australia were dismissed for 145 in reply. The first Test between the two sides ended in a draw in Dubai last week. 
&nbsp;

Australia, who were set a mammoth target of 538 by Pakistan to win the second Test, closed the third day at 47 for the loss of a wicket in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Australia, who were set a mammoth target of 538 by Pakistan to win the second Test, closed the third day at 47 for the loss of a wicket in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. At close, Aaron Finch (24) and Travis Head (17) were at the crease with Australia still needing 491 runs with nine wickets in hand to save a 1-0 defeat in the last two days. For Pakistan, Babar Azam missed a maiden hundred by one run while Sarfraz Ahmed (81), Azhar Ali (64) and Asad Shafiq (44) made useful contributions. Pakistan declared their second innings at 400-9, taking their target for Australia at mammoth 538. Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon took four wickets and gave 135. Pakistan made 282 in their first innings while Australia were dismissed for 145 in reply. The first Test between the two sides ended in a draw in Dubai last week.

2nd Test, Day 3: Australia 47-1 at stumps in chase of 538

After being bowled out for 282 in their first inning, Pakistani bowlers made Australia fall apart as they took seven wickets for just 91 runs at lunch on the second day of second Test match in Abu Dhabi. &nbsp;

Mohammad Abbas has clinched four wickets and gave just 29 runs in 11 overs bowled so far. Meanwhile, Bilal Asif and Yasir Shah took two and a wicket respectively.&nbsp;

Australia now trail by 191 runs and looking the condition they might even fail to avoid the play-off. &nbsp;

Aaron Finch leads the run chart for Australia with 39 runs, while the rest of the batsmen failed to reach the 20 digit mark.&nbsp;Tim Paine was the last Australian wicket to fall before the lunch.

In last 10 overs, Aussies made 18 runs and lost 3 wickets.&nbsp;

On day 1, debutant opener Fakhar Zaman and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed missed hundreds by six runs each but managed to revive Pakistan, with the two scoring 94 runs each. &nbsp;The inning helped Pakistan recover from 57-5 to a total of 282 after winning the toss and electing to bat on a slow turning pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Before the close, Pakistan grabbed two wickets, including that of Usman Khawaja for three, as Australia finished on 20-2, with Aaron Finch on 13 and nightwatchman Peter Siddle dismissed off the last ball of the day for four.

After being bowled out for 282 in their first inning, Pakistani bowlers made Australia fall apart as they took seven wickets for just 91 runs at lunch on the second day of second Test match in Abu Dhabi.

After being bowled out for 282 in their first inning, Pakistani bowlers made Australia fall apart as they took seven wickets for just 91 runs at lunch on the second day of second Test match in Abu Dhabi. Mohammad Abbas has clinched four wickets and gave just 29 runs in 11 overs bowled so far. Meanwhile, Bilal Asif and Yasir Shah took two and a wicket respectively. Australia now trail by 191 runs and looking the condition they might even fail to avoid the play-off. Aaron Finch leads the run chart for Australia with 39 runs, while the rest of the batsmen failed to reach the 20 digit mark. Tim Paine was the last Australian wicket to fall before the lunch. In last 10 overs, Aussies made 18 runs and lost 3 wickets. On day 1, debutant opener Fakhar Zaman and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed missed hundreds by six runs each but managed to revive Pakistan, with the two scoring 94 runs each. The inning helped Pakistan recover from 57-5 to a total of 282 after winning the toss and electing to bat on a slow turning pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Before the close, Pakistan grabbed two wickets, including that of Usman Khawaja for three, as Australia finished on 20-2, with Aaron Finch on 13 and nightwatchman Peter Siddle dismissed off the last ball of the day for four.

2nd Test, Day 2: Australia 91/7 at lunch in reply to Pakistan's 282

Australian cricketer&nbsp;Aaron Finch missed its first match of Indian Premier League&nbsp;in 2018 as Finch's wedding clashed with the opening ceremony of the mega cricketing event.

Not only Aaron Finch, another Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell too missed his first IPL match because he played the role of an MC (Master of Ceremonies) at his mate&nbsp;wedding.

In a media interaction, Finch had said that he was not aware of the IPL’s new schedule as he was told earlier that the event will start on April 15 and according to that he had planned his wedding on April 7.

The two best friends were supposed to play against each other on their opener match on April 8 as Finch was purchased by the Punjab team for an amount of 6.2 cr on the other hand, Glenn Maxwell was bought by Delhi franchise for another expensive deal costing INR 9 Cr.

On April 8, Punjab faced Delhi Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali in the absence of their star players and the game was won by Punjab by six wickets.

Although, Delhi team has already been eliminated in the ongoing edition of IPL and Punjab are an inch closer to book its berth in the play-offs.

Australian cricketers Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell missed their opener IPL match

Australian cricketer Aaron Finch missed its first match of Indian Premier League in 2018 as Finch's wedding clashed with the opening ceremony of the mega cricketing event. Not only Aaron Finch, another Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell too missed his first IPL match because he played the role of an MC (Master of Ceremonies) at his mate wedding. In a media interaction, Finch had said that he was not aware of the IPL’s new schedule as he was told earlier that the event will start on April 15 and according to that he had planned his wedding on April 7. The two best friends were supposed to play against each other on their opener match on April 8 as Finch was purchased by the Punjab team for an amount of 6.2 cr on the other hand, Glenn Maxwell was bought by Delhi franchise for another expensive deal costing INR 9 Cr. On April 8, Punjab faced Delhi Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali in the absence of their star players and the game was won by Punjab by six wickets. Although, Delhi team has already been eliminated in the ongoing edition of IPL and Punjab are an inch closer to book its berth in the play-offs.

IPL 2018: Here is why Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell missed their first IPL match

England beat Australia in the second One Day International at the Gabba, Brisbane on Friday and now lead the series with 2-0.

Australia had won the toss and opted to bat. After restricting Australians to 270/9, the English achieved the total with 5.4 overs to spare.

Though Australia started off well, it was assumed that they would give a target of more than 300 runs but English bowlers struck and restricted the team at an achievable total of 270 runs.

For Australia, both the openers, Aaron Finch and David Warner made a good&nbsp;start, Finch slammed a century and David Warner scored 35 runs for the team before Moeen Ali had caught him at slip.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-david-warners-daughter-cheering-for-england-29956" target="_blank">Watch: David Warner&#39;s daughter cheering for England</a>

Joe Root had taken two very crucial wickets of Steve Smith and Travis Head for 18 and 7 respectively and Plunkett got another important wicket of Aaron Finch for 106 runs.

Adil Rashid trapped Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis LBW at 36 runs and 4 runs respectively and Chris Woakes brilliantly run out debutant Alex Carey for 27 runs and Andrew Tye for 3 runs.&nbsp;

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2-0! England&#39;s batsmen back up the work of the bowlers to chase down their target of 271 and win the 2nd <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvENG</a> ODI by 4 wickets.<a href="https://t.co/BQE9tjgWuh">https://t.co/BQE9tjgWuh</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wlp7oVPThb">pic.twitter.com/Wlp7oVPThb</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/954304219124830209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Aaron Finch was dominating fast bowlers, then English captain E Morgan turned to his spinners with immediate effect.

&quot;I thought our bowlers were exceptional,&quot; England captain Eoin Morgan said.

&quot;On a really hot day, they coped very well.&quot;

All of England&#39;s batsmen contributed to the run chase, which was always in control following a 117-run second wicket partnership between Jonny Bairstow (60) and Alex Hales (57).

Joss Buttler (42), Morgan (21) and Chris Woakes (39 not out) all made handy contributions, while Joe Root held the innings together with a measured 46 not out and got player of the match.

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A superb all round performance with both bat and ball sees <a href="https://twitter.com/root66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@root66</a> win the Player of the Match award for the 2nd <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvENG</a> ODI. 
 
SCORECARD: <a href="https://t.co/BQE9tjgWuh">https://t.co/BQE9tjgWuh</a> <a href="https://t.co/EyRUuBaPyw">pic.twitter.com/EyRUuBaPyw</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/954308561290579968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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After losing the game Smith conceded Australia were well beaten.

&quot;We&#39;re not playing good enough one day cricket at the moment,&quot; he said.

&quot;We were in a good position at 3-209 with 11 overs to go and we only scored 60 with seven wickets in hand,&quot; he added.

&quot;That&#39;s not enough against a quality English batting line up.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Joe Root held the innings together with a measured 46 not out and awarded player of the match

England beat Australia in the second One Day International at the Gabba, Brisbane on Friday and now lead the series with 2-0. Australia had won the toss and opted to bat. After restricting Australians to 270/9, the English achieved the total with 5.4 overs to spare. Though Australia started off well, it was assumed that they would give a target of more than 300 runs but English bowlers struck and restricted the team at an achievable total of 270 runs. For Australia, both the openers, Aaron Finch and David Warner made a good start, Finch slammed a century and David Warner scored 35 runs for the team before Moeen Ali had caught him at slip. Watch: David Warner's daughter cheering for England Joe Root had taken two very crucial wickets of Steve Smith and Travis Head for 18 and 7 respectively and Plunkett got another important wicket of Aaron Finch for 106 runs. Adil Rashid trapped Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis LBW at 36 runs and 4 runs respectively and Chris Woakes brilliantly run out debutant Alex Carey for 27 runs and Andrew Tye for 3 runs. 2-0! England's batsmen back up the work of the bowlers to chase down their target of 271 and win the 2nd #AUSvENG ODI by 4 wickets.https://t.co/BQE9tjgWuh pic.twitter.com/Wlp7oVPThb — ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2018 × Aaron Finch was dominating fast bowlers, then English captain E Morgan turned to his spinners with immediate effect. "I thought our bowlers were exceptional," England captain Eoin Morgan said. "On a really hot day, they coped very well." All of England's batsmen contributed to the run chase, which was always in control following a 117-run second wicket partnership between Jonny Bairstow (60) and Alex Hales (57). Joss Buttler (42), Morgan (21) and Chris Woakes (39 not out) all made handy contributions, while Joe Root held the innings together with a measured 46 not out and got player of the match. A superb all round performance with both bat and ball sees @root66 win the Player of the Match award for the 2nd #AUSvENG ODI. SCORECARD: https://t.co/BQE9tjgWuh pic.twitter.com/EyRUuBaPyw — ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2018 × After losing the game Smith conceded Australia were well beaten. "We're not playing good enough one day cricket at the moment," he said. "We were in a good position at 3-209 with 11 overs to go and we only scored 60 with seven wickets in hand," he added. "That's not enough against a quality English batting line up."

England beat Australia in second ODI, lead 2-0

The first one-day international match between England and Australia is underway at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australia scored 304 at the loss of&nbsp;8 wickets in 50 overs after&nbsp;England won the toss and chose to bowl.

Australian opener Aaron Finch slammed another century (107), helping his team set such a mammoth target. However, David Warner lost his wicket in the second over itself, which&nbsp;was a big blow to Australians.

Mitchell Marsh (50), Marcus Stoinis (60) and Tim Paine (27) contributed well with their bats for the team.

Aaron Finch found a determined ally in Mitchel Marsh and together they contributed 118 runs for the team.

England Spinner Adil Rashid took two wickets and rest of the bowlers got one wicket each. Rashid&nbsp;dismissed skipper Steve Smith&nbsp;at 23.

England&#39;s bowlers got wickets but failed to&nbsp;slow down opponent&#39;s&nbsp;run rate.

Fall of wickets:

1-10 (David Warner, 1.5&nbsp;over),&nbsp;2-58 (Steve Smith, 10.5&nbsp;over), 3-78 (Travis Head, 13.6 over), 4-196 (Aaron Finch, 35.2&nbsp;over), 5-205 (Mitchell&nbsp;&nbsp;Marsh, 37.2&nbsp;over), 6-285 (Marcus Stoinis, 47.1&nbsp;over), 7-296 (Tim Paine, 49.2&nbsp;over), 8-300 (Pat Cummins, 49.5&nbsp;over).

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107 from <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronFinch5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AaronFinch5</a> and 60 from Marcus Stoinis have helped Australia post 304/8 in the 1st ODI. Will England chase them down, or do Australia have enough? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvENG</a> 
 
Scorecard: <a href="https://t.co/xbW9koTFUR">https://t.co/xbW9koTFUR</a> <a href="https://t.co/FV2fsu9WUy">pic.twitter.com/FV2fsu9WUy</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/952436711157583873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Recently, Australia completed a massive 4-0 win in the Ashes Test series. The five one-day match series is a chance for the English to salvage some cricket pride.

England captain Joe Root handed over the leadership duties to Eoin Morgan and play with two spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid along with pacers Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett.

On&nbsp;the other hand, fast bowler Andrew Tye debuts for Australia.

Teams:

Australia - David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith (capt), Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye.

England - Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood.

Spinner Adil Rashid took two wickets and rest of the bowlers got one wicket each

The first one-day international match between England and Australia is underway at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia scored 304 at the loss of 8 wickets in 50 overs after England won the toss and chose to bowl. Australian opener Aaron Finch slammed another century (107), helping his team set such a mammoth target. However, David Warner lost his wicket in the second over itself, which was a big blow to Australians. Mitchell Marsh (50), Marcus Stoinis (60) and Tim Paine (27) contributed well with their bats for the team. Aaron Finch found a determined ally in Mitchel Marsh and together they contributed 118 runs for the team. England Spinner Adil Rashid took two wickets and rest of the bowlers got one wicket each. Rashid dismissed skipper Steve Smith at 23. England's bowlers got wickets but failed to slow down opponent's run rate. Fall of wickets: 1-10 (David Warner, 1.5 over), 2-58 (Steve Smith, 10.5 over), 3-78 (Travis Head, 13.6 over), 4-196 (Aaron Finch, 35.2 over), 5-205 (Mitchell Marsh, 37.2 over), 6-285 (Marcus Stoinis, 47.1 over), 7-296 (Tim Paine, 49.2 over), 8-300 (Pat Cummins, 49.5 over). 107 from @AaronFinch5 and 60 from Marcus Stoinis have helped Australia post 304/8 in the 1st ODI. Will England chase them down, or do Australia have enough? #AUSvENG Scorecard: https://t.co/xbW9koTFUR pic.twitter.com/FV2fsu9WUy — ICC (@ICC) January 14, 2018 × Recently, Australia completed a massive 4-0 win in the Ashes Test series. The five one-day match series is a chance for the English to salvage some cricket pride. England captain Joe Root handed over the leadership duties to Eoin Morgan and play with two spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid along with pacers Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett. On the other hand, fast bowler Andrew Tye debuts for Australia. Teams: Australia - David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith (capt), Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye. England - Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood.

1st ODI: Aaron Finch's ton help Australia set target of 305 for England

Opening batsman Aaron Finch marked his return to the Australia side with a defiant century in the third one-day international against India but the thrill was tempered by another loss for Steve Smith&#39;s struggling side.

Finch, a member of Australia&#39;s 2015 World Cup-winning team, can scarcely remember a tougher run playing for his country in the short format.

Australia&#39;s five-wicket defeat in Indore on Sunday saw them fall 3-0 behind in the five-match series. The defeat was their 11th in their last 13 ODIs away from home, while the other two matches were rain-affected no results.

Finch, who scored 124 in Indore after missing the defeats in Chennai and Kolkata with a calf problem, said Australia had failed to take their chances against India but conceded there was a clear difference between the sides.

&quot;You have to play well but I think you also have to go in with the right attitude and make sure that when you do get an opportunity to win a game, you don&#39;t let that slip,&quot; Finch said in comments published on Cricket Australia&#39;s website (cricket.com.au)

&quot;We&#39;ve been in a couple of good positions in the first few games and as soon as you give India a sniff, they&#39;ll beat you nine times out of 10.

&quot;You have to play 100 per cent to beat (India) in these conditions,&quot; Finch said. &quot;If you play 90 percent, it&#39;s not good enough here.

&quot;There&#39;s obviously a gap between the sides at the moment and they&#39;re proving that.

&quot;They&#39;re 3-0 up, they&#39;re the number one side in the world and there&#39;s just a few things we need to tinker with as players to bridge that gap and get the results going our way.&quot;

Australia were whitewashed 5-0 away to South Africa last year and Finch said the mounting losses were not helping with confidence.

&quot;Whenever you&#39;re losing, it&#39;s never easy,&quot; said the 30-year-old, who struck his eighth ODI ton in Indore.

&quot;Winning away from home is what every side strives to achieve and I think whenever you start losing, you can lose a little bit of confidence in yourself and in the way you&#39;re playing.&quot;

Finch was understandably glad to score some runs, especially after going to lengths to convince the team&#39;s physiotherapist of his fitness to play.

&quot;If (the calf) had have gone again last night, I might have been in a bit of strife,&quot; he said.

&quot;So it was nice for that to hold up.&quot;

The fourth ODI is in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Australia's five-wicket defeat in Indore on Sunday saw them fall 3-0 behind in the five-match series. The defeat was their 11th in their last 13 ODIs away from home, while the other two matches were rain-affected no results

Opening batsman Aaron Finch marked his return to the Australia side with a defiant century in the third one-day international against India but the thrill was tempered by another loss for Steve Smith's struggling side. Finch, a member of Australia's 2015 World Cup-winning team, can scarcely remember a tougher run playing for his country in the short format. Australia's five-wicket defeat in Indore on Sunday saw them fall 3-0 behind in the five-match series. The defeat was their 11th in their last 13 ODIs away from home, while the other two matches were rain-affected no results. Finch, who scored 124 in Indore after missing the defeats in Chennai and Kolkata with a calf problem, said Australia had failed to take their chances against India but conceded there was a clear difference between the sides. "You have to play well but I think you also have to go in with the right attitude and make sure that when you do get an opportunity to win a game, you don't let that slip," Finch said in comments published on Cricket Australia's website (cricket.com.au) "We've been in a couple of good positions in the first few games and as soon as you give India a sniff, they'll beat you nine times out of 10. "You have to play 100 per cent to beat (India) in these conditions," Finch said. "If you play 90 percent, it's not good enough here. "There's obviously a gap between the sides at the moment and they're proving that. "They're 3-0 up, they're the number one side in the world and there's just a few things we need to tinker with as players to bridge that gap and get the results going our way." Australia were whitewashed 5-0 away to South Africa last year and Finch said the mounting losses were not helping with confidence. "Whenever you're losing, it's never easy," said the 30-year-old, who struck his eighth ODI ton in Indore. "Winning away from home is what every side strives to achieve and I think whenever you start losing, you can lose a little bit of confidence in yourself and in the way you're playing." Finch was understandably glad to score some runs, especially after going to lengths to convince the team's physiotherapist of his fitness to play. "If (the calf) had have gone again last night, I might have been in a bit of strife," he said. "So it was nice for that to hold up." The fourth ODI is in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Cricket: India showing they are a class above, says Finch

Australia qualified for the final of the triangular one-day international series (ODI) with a six-wicket win over West Indies in Barbados on Tuesday. 
 
West Indies were sent in to bat and compiled 282 for eight off their 50 overs, with Marlon Samuels scoring 125 off 134 balls for his maiden ODI century against Australia. 
 
Wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin chipped in with a brisk 91 in a 192-run fourth wicket stand as the hosts roared back after losing three early wickets. 
 
Australia made a wobbly start in reply, with openers Aaron Finch (16) and Usman Khawaja (17) going early. But, the visitors settled in as play wore on and chased down the target with eight balls to spare, Glenn Maxwell (46 not out) securing victory with a devastating late burst. 
 
The result means the winner of Friday&#39;s match between West Indies and South Africa will advance to Sunday&#39;s final against Australia at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. 
 
While captain Steve Smith (78) top-scored for Australia with his third successive ODI half-century, the batting form of team mates Mitchell Marsh (79 not out) and Maxwell pleased the skipper. Maxwell&#39;s innings included a magnificent switch-hit sweep for six over cover-point off spinner Sunil Narine in the 46th over. In the next over he bludgeoned 14 runs off three balls off Carlos Brathwaite to effectively seal victory. 
 
&quot;An innings like that, I was speechless at the other end,&quot; said Marsh in an on-field interview. &quot;Maxie has a lot of doubters but an innings like today shows why he&#39;s such a pivotal part of the team.&quot; 
 
Smith, who downplayed a question about apparent on-field sledging, had plenty of praise to share around. 
 
&quot;I thought Mitchell Marsh played a very mature innings and Glenn Maxwell finished off nicely with a few of his trademark reverse slog sweeps, or whatever they&#39;re called,&quot; he said. 
 
West Indies captain Jason Holder limped off with a strained left hamstring after bowling just two overs and is doubtful for Friday&#39;s showdown against South Africa. 
 
(Reuters)

West Indies were sent in to bat and notched up 282 for eight, with Marlon Samuels scoring his maiden ODI century against Australia

Australia qualified for the final of the triangular one-day international series (ODI) with a six-wicket win over West Indies in Barbados on Tuesday. West Indies were sent in to bat and compiled 282 for eight off their 50 overs, with Marlon Samuels scoring 125 off 134 balls for his maiden ODI century against Australia. Wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin chipped in with a brisk 91 in a 192-run fourth wicket stand as the hosts roared back after losing three early wickets. Australia made a wobbly start in reply, with openers Aaron Finch (16) and Usman Khawaja (17) going early. But, the visitors settled in as play wore on and chased down the target with eight balls to spare, Glenn Maxwell (46 not out) securing victory with a devastating late burst. The result means the winner of Friday's match between West Indies and South Africa will advance to Sunday's final against Australia at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. While captain Steve Smith (78) top-scored for Australia with his third successive ODI half-century, the batting form of team mates Mitchell Marsh (79 not out) and Maxwell pleased the skipper. Maxwell's innings included a magnificent switch-hit sweep for six over cover-point off spinner Sunil Narine in the 46th over. In the next over he bludgeoned 14 runs off three balls off Carlos Brathwaite to effectively seal victory. "An innings like that, I was speechless at the other end," said Marsh in an on-field interview. "Maxie has a lot of doubters but an innings like today shows why he's such a pivotal part of the team." Smith, who downplayed a question about apparent on-field sledging, had plenty of praise to share around. "I thought Mitchell Marsh played a very mature innings and Glenn Maxwell finished off nicely with a few of his trademark reverse slog sweeps, or whatever they're called," he said. West Indies captain Jason Holder limped off with a strained left hamstring after bowling just two overs and is doubtful for Friday's showdown against South Africa. (Reuters)

Australia beat Windies to reach ODI tri-series final

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