2nd ODI: Aaron Finch, David Warner’s consistent opening stands vs India will stun you

Aaron Finch and David Warner continued their magnificent form against India as Australia dominated proceedings in the second ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday. Australia won the toss and chose to bat and both Aaron Finch and David Warner continued their fine form. Having registered an opening partnership in excess of 150 in the first game, David Warner and Aaron Finch started taking the attack to the Indian bowlers who once again looked slightly out of rhythm. Warner got going with a boundary off Mohammed Shami while Finch started off in style with a four off Jasprit Bumrah.

David Warner grew in confidence as he smashed Navdeep Saini for two fours and a six in two overs and the confidence for the left-hander grew with two more boundaries off Mohammed Shami in the eighth over. When he hit a boundary past deep backward point, the partnership between Warner and Finch went past fifty again.

The fifty-run stand again created an unbelievable streak of consistency for the Aaron Finch-David Warner duo as this was their seventh fifty-plus stand in nine ODIs against India. With the inclusion of the Sydney ODI, the last eight opening partnerships between David Warner and Aaron Finch has been 70, 231, 66, 61, 258*, 20, 18, 156. The 258-run stand was achieved this year in the ODI at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai and Australia won the game by 10 wickets. Warner went past his fifty when he slog swept Yuzvendra Chahal to the deep midwicket fence and a four past cover. However, the partnership grew and David Warner and Aaron Finch notched up their fifth 100-plus opening stand against India in ODIs, which is the most by any Australian duo against India in ODIs.

Australia dominate

Australia scored at a rate of over 6.5 per over with both batsmen looking in great touch. Warner missed out on a century in the previous match and he will be determined to make a big score. In the first ODI, Aaron Finch blasted his 17^th century and fourth overall against India while Steve Smith stole the show by hammering a brilliant 100 off 63 balls which is the fastest by an Australian batsman in ODIs.

Australia notched up their highest ODI total against India when they notched up 374/6 and aided by some superb bowling from Adam Zampa who ended with 4/54, Australia managed to win the match by 66 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the series.