World Cup 2019: Australia to 'take the contest' to Chris Gayle, says Finch

Chris Gayle is arguably the most dangerous batsman in ODI cricket and Australia is wary of the West Indies man's threat ahead of their meeting at the World Cup.

Aaron Finch vowed Australia will "take the contest" to Chris Gayle and looks to unsettle the destructive West Indies opener in Thursday's Cricket World Cup 2019 clash.

The Trent Bridge tussle could suit Gayle, with a short boundary sure to be attacked by the 39-year-old whose career lacks one notable statistic: an ODI century against Australia.

Nottinghamshire's home is the venue at which Australia conceded a world-record score to England last June, tortured by Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales.

And if Gayle finds his range early in the West Indies innings, then captain Finch knows Australia could find themselves in trouble.

READ | Chris Gayle registers most sixes in World Cup

With that in mind, Australia has formulated plans to stifle Gayle, who plundered 424 runs in four ODIs against England earlier this year.

"When you come up against someone as dangerous as Chris, you have to be prepared that he's going to hit boundaries," Finch said. "So it's about trying to attack his weaknesses early and making sure that we're putting the ball in the areas that we want to be bowling.

"If you second-guess yourself, if you're a bit tentative, if you're a bit nervous with the ball in hand, he'll get all over you, and once he's going, he's so hard to stop.

"So I think it's important that you come prepared to take the contest to him because he definitely does that the other way."

Gayle has an ODI highest score of 92 against Australia, and he would love to crack on to three figures this time.

Australia is mindful he has not always been fully fit when facing it, and that could again be the case this time as Gayle contends with a back niggle.

READ | World Cup 2019: Holder hopeful of Russell being fit for Australia clash

But Australia will back itself against any batting line-up, even at venues with a history of high-scoring contests such as Trent Bridge.

"I think if you're executing your best ball over and over and they're playing good shots in our percentages, then you have to wear that," Finch said. "We know how fast the outfields are here in England. We know how flat wickets can be at times, so you have to be prepared to suck up some pressure and soak up a few boundaries here and there.

"If it's poor execution or a poor plan on my behalf, then it's something to reassess at the end of the game."