Aaron Finch explains drop in batting averages in Australia as India bundle hosts out for 104

Jasprit Bumrah and debutant Harshit Rana led the way as India bowled Australia out for 104 at the stroke of lunch on Day 2 of the first Test in Perth, collecting a crucial 46-run lead in the process. The Indians had been bundled out for 150 on the opening day, but responded brilliantly with the ball later in the game to keep their hopes of going 1-0 up at the start of the marquee Test series alive.

According to former Australia white-ball captain Aaron Finch, Cricket Australia’s decision to change the Kookaburra balls a few years ago has something to do with batting averages dropping Down Under – which has been the case so far in the ongoing Test.

Australia uses balls manufactured by Melbourne-based sports goods manufacturer Kookaburra – whose white balls are the standard for all forms of white-ball cricket and red balls are used for Tests all over the world except England (Dukes) and India (SG). Kookaburra decided to put an extra lacquer on the ball and improved its stitching four years ago and bowlers have greatly benefited from the changes since its introduction.

Former all-rounder Greg Blewett revealed while commentating on the ongoing Test in Perth that the Australian batting average Down Under was 44 for the period between 2016 to 2020, and had dropped to 34 in the last four years.

“What the extra layer of lacquer does is that it just keeps it harder for a little bit longer. So in the past, there’s been criticism that the ball goes soft really quickly particularly on hard Australian surfaces,” said Finch, who was commentating alongside Blewett and Australian cricketer-turned-media personality James Brayshaw.

“So what it does now is that with that extra layer, there just is extra layer of protection that shines up a lot better. There’s also something about it that helps it swing a little bit more consistently.

“So, I think it’s been really good since I retired,” added Finch, whose played the last of his five Tests in Melbourne in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bumrah led the way with a haul of 5/30, completing his 11th Test five-for by having Alex Carey caught-behind off his first ball of the morning. Rana, on the other hand, collecting 3/48, breaking the solid partnership between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood for the final wicket by dismissing the former in the final over of the morning session.

Starc top-scored for the Australians, stonewalling his way to 26 off 112 balls and adding 25 for the 10th wicket in a partnership with Hazlewood (7 not out off 31) that lasted 18 overs, frustrating the Bumrah-led visitors in the process.

Wicketkeeper-batter Carey was expected to lead Australia’s charge in the morning session on Day 2 after the Aussies resumed from their overnight score of 67/7 , only to be dismissed in the third delivery that he faced on Saturday.

Had it not been for Starc’s defiant knock, Australia might have struggled to cross the century mark, having been reduced to 79/9 after Rana had Nathan Lyon caught in the slips.

All-rounder Nitish Reddy, making his debut alongside Rana and Australia’s Nathan McSweeney in Perth, had top-scored for his side with a valuable 41 off 59 as the Indians were bowled out for 150 after Bumrah, filling in as skipper for Rohit Sharma, opted to bat. Reddy added 38 for the seventh wicket with Rishabh Pant, who had struck three fours and an outrageous six off Pat Cummins during his knock of 37 off 78.

KL Rahul, opening alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in Rohit’s absence, was the other major contributor to the Indian total with a patient 26 before getting dismissed in a contentious manner.