Aaron Finch admits to ‘nightmares’ about Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah

The batsman reveals his difficulties in facing the seamers during India’s 2018-19 tour of Australia.

Published : Mar 15, 2020 19:19 IST

Aaron Finch struggled with the bat in the ODIs and T20Is against India.

Aaron Finch has revealed he had nightmares during India’s 2017-18 tour of Australia when pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah were taking his wicket “for fun.”

Opening the innings for Australia, Finch struggled in all three formats against India. “I’d wake up in a cold sweat, [Bhuvneshwar] got me out a lot with the ball moving back in,” Finch, the team’s captain for limited-overs cricket, said in a documentary series titled ‘The Test’. Bhuvneshwar dismissed Finch four times, including all three ODIs and one T20I.

Finch was also wary of facing Bumrah. “There were times that I’d wake up in the night thinking about getting out. Thinking I’m facing Bumrah again tomorrow, he’s getting me out for fun,” Finch said.

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India enjoyed a successful tour, winning the Border Gavaskar Trophy 3-1, its first-ever Test series win in Australia. India also won the ODI series 2-1, while the T20 series ended in a 1-1 draw.

Bumrah was instrumental in India’s success in the Tests. The right-arm pacer emerged as the joint highest wicket-taker in the four-match series, claiming 21 wickets.

‘The Test’, which is an eight-part series, shows the Australian team’s journey of redemption — from the 2018 ball-tampering scandal to a successful defence of the Ashes. The series also features behind-the-scenes footage of Australia’s first-ever Test series loss to India on home soil and the World Cup semifinal exit.