The India captain also gave credit to India’s lower-order batsmen for applying themselves and allowing him to play with confidence at his end

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-20182:04

Where does Kohli’s 149 rank among his best innings?

Virat Kohli is not convinced his epic 149 against England at Edgbaston is his best Test innings. It was Kohli’s first Test century in England – he had had a torrid time on his only other visit in 2014 – and it helped pull India back into the Test after Sam Curran had wiped out the top order before lunch on the second day. Kohli ended up making more than half the runs India made and, vitally, allowed England just a minor lead of 13 runs.

Anderson on bowling to Kohli

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of play on day three, James Anderson said: “I felt like I was on top of him, so obviously the dropped catch was frustrating.
“The easiest thing for me yesterday was it wasn’t swinging that much, it was doing just enough. I was thinking bowl the same ball every ball, and with natural variation he [Kohli] might just play at one. That the simplest it gets, when all you have to think about is putting the ball in the right spot.
“Early on he was going hard at the balls outside off and I felt in the game. I just thought hang around off stump and he’ll nick one in the end.
“Ben Stokes came up to me and said he’s batting out of his crease, but essentially I was trying to hit that fourth-stump area.”

Kohli admitted that it was a test both mentally and physically to survive the conditions and the England fast-bowling attack led by James Anderson, but he would still rank his second-innings century in Adelaide in 2014 as his best effort in the longest format.Kohli was one of two players, along with David Warner, to record twin centuries in that Adelaide Test. In a high-scoring affair, India were set a target of 364 on the final day. Kohli, who was the stand-in captain at the time, was clear that India would go for the target. India fell short by 49 runs, as Kohli made 141.”I am not sure [that Edgbaston is my best]. This could probably come in second to Adelaide,” Kohli told . “Adelaide still remains very special to me because it was second innings, and we were chasing a target. And I had total clarity that we are going for the target. Not once did I think that we are not. That was a beautiful zone to be in.”That’s not to say Kohli was making light of the hard slog at Edgbaston: “I am very happy … [to have] this opportunity to help the team this way and pull us back in the Test match and compete. That is what we’re here to do: we are here to compete, we are here to fight and we are going to keep doing that.”Kohli said his main aim here was to take the total as close to England’s 287 as possible. “It was difficult, but I told myself that it’s important to enjoy this and take it upon me as a challenge to take the team far and take the innings deep. It was a test of physical and mental strength, but I’m glad that we could come close to their total and remain pretty much in the game.”The fight he waged against England’s bowling attack was a quiet one for the most part. A score of 54 for 2 – at which point Kohli had walked in – had become 100 for 5. Kohli now had just the lower order in allrounders Hardik Pandya and R Aswhin and the tail to rely on. He stitched together a 48-run partnership with Pandya and then 21 for the seventh wicket.Then it was into the tail, and Kohli responded with 92 runs from 116 balls; the three tailenders accounted for 8 runs from 37 balls. Kohli said the lower order and tail gave him ample support, building his confidence. “I have to commend the tail as well; Hardik batted really well after we lost five, and then the way Ishant and Umesh applied themselves… I think it was an outstanding effort from them also. So I have to give a lot of credit to them for getting us this close, because they got stuck in there and supported me really well, and I could feel confident about them being out there, which is very important.”The one disappointment for Kohli was being unable to take a small lead, which became his new target as India advanced towards the England total. However, the prized wicket of Alastair Cook late in the day put the smile back on Kohli’s face. “It wasn’t just about getting to the three-figure mark, but to continue from thereon. I was very disappointed when I got out as well, because I thought we could’ve taken a 10-15 runs lead, but in hindsight we wouldn’t have been able to bowl then.”

The stand-in captain told the players before the Asia Cup to perform as if they were playing domestic cricket. He said it was “to ensure there’s no insecurity within”

Shashank Kishore in Dubai29-Sep-20180:33

We have ticked all boxes in this tournament – Rohit

Rohit Sharma, India’s victorious stand-in captain, wants those auditioning for the Nos. 4 and 6 spots in the ODI XI to get more opportunities in the next few months, even if team dynamics change when Virat Kohli takes over the leadership.”The guys who were here had the ability to win matches for the team,” Rohit said. “They’ve won matches for their state or IPL teams. No one took extra pressure because some players weren’t available. We want to create an environment where boys come in, play carefree, and not think that this is an international match and we need to change our game.”As a management, it is our duty to give the players that freedom to go play like they play at the club or domestic level. At the start of the tournament, we discussed this and gave them a clear message: ‘treat this like you’re playing for your domestic team, nothing to change.’ It was very important to give them this message, to ensure there’s no insecurity within.”At his pre-tournament press conference, Rohit had advocated for continuity, and he stuck to it through the Asia Cup. India gave six straight opportunities to Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav to further strengthen their cases for a middle-order berth with next year’s World Cup in mind.Among them, Rayudu displayed his versatility in batting at different positions. He scored a half-century apiece as an opener and at No. 3 against Afghanistan and Hong Kong respectively, while Karthik made 146 runs in five innings at No. 4, largely playing the role of an accumulator on sluggish surfaces where batting required a certain degree of patience and calm. Those included scores of 33, 31*, 1*, 44 and 37. Jadhav impressed with his wicket-taking abilities in the middle overs, apart from making a crucial unbeaten 23 in the final despite an injured right hamstring.”I think we pretty much have clarity. Those at No. 4 and No. 6 need to get more games as the World Cup comes closer,” Rohit said. “It’s too early to judge or say they’ve sealed the spot. I shouldn’t be saying that because right now is not the time. The next few tournaments that we’re going to play will probably be ideal for us to judge as a management and see where they stand.Associated Press

“When we came here, I wanted to give them the assurance first that they will play all the games. That’s how you make players. You give them the assurance of going and playing freely without taking pressure. If you know that you’re going to be dropped after two games, it’s not easy for anyone. I think it is important to keep that team consistently going, and that is something that we spoke at the start of the tournament. I wanted to give everybody a fair run and play more games. That’s how you will understand a player’s capability because in one-odd game you can’t judge. You need quite a few games.”Rohit himself registered scores of 23, 52, 83*, 111* and 48, thereby proving captaincy had little effect on his batting. He delivered two half-century opening stands and a double-century opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan, all in match-winning causes. The flip side of this consistency was less-than-ideal batting time for the middle order.The near-failed chase against Afghanistan in a tie and their mini-collapse in the final notwithstanding, Rohit was reasonably happy with the middle order’s performances. “As far as the batting goes, middle order didn’t get as many chances as we wanted them to, because the top-order batsmen batted quite a lot in the tournament,” Rohit said. “But whenever they’ve got chances, they’ve shown signs of handling pressure well. It’s a different issue that they didn’t finish it off, but I think they handled the pressure well.”Kathik apart, the only batsman among those who played all matches to have not made a half-century was MS Dhoni. He started the tournament with a duck against Hong Kong, but showed glimpses of solidity in making 33 and 36 against Bangladesh in the Super Four game and the final, respectively. On Friday, Dhoni’s dismissal triggered a lower-order wobble that threatened to pull Bangladesh back into the contest, but India had vital lower-order partnerships involving Jadhav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.Associated Press

Bhuvneshwar’s 31-ball 21 at No. 8 helped absorb pressure after India were 167 for 5 and Jadhav had hobbled off with a hamstring strain. Bhuvneshwar added 45 with Ravindra Jadeja, with the pair intent on strike rotation without taking too many gambles. In a sign of his improved power game, Bhuvneshwar also drilled an attempted yorker from Rubel Hossain over long-off for six with India needing 26 off 28.In just the one innings, he showed what India had missed all along while he was injured, a solid No. 8 who could provide the team batting cushion in situations like these. “Bhuvi is a very crucial member of the squad. Not just now, but for a few years,” Rohit said. “In Sri Lanka too, he got a fifty and had a big partnership with MS to win the game. Even today, his runs were so crucial.”He understands that the team wants him to bat as well, and not just bowl. If any player in your team can provide you with something else apart from their main skill, it makes your team better, so that’s what we all look forward to from each player. He takes his batting very seriously.”Rohit was effusive in his praise for Ravindra Jadeja, who made an ODI comeback at the Asia Cup after more than a year. In his very first outing, he bagged a four-for, while his fielding and lower-order batting – the knocks where he failed to finish off notwithstanding – providing soothing signs to a unit intent on finding back-ups for every spot. That Jadeja returned was because of Hardik Pandya’s back spasms that ruled him out of the competition.With the ball, Jadeja’s no-frills variety helped deliver crucial breakthroughs, but his impact on the field earned him plaudits. In the final, he intercepted a drive by putting in a full-length dive to his left at cover, before recovering quickly and having the presence of mind to fire a throw to the correct end. This resulted in the dismissal of the in-form Mohammad Mithun, paving way for a lower-order implosion that cost Bangladesh heavily.Rohit quickly corrected a query on Jadeja’s forced ODI break and then explained why he thought those performances mattered. “I don’t think it was a break, Jadeja was out of the team,” he clarified. “When you’re out, you have the fire inside you, that burning desire to make a comeback and prove to yourself, rather than proving to anyone else. I think he’s proved himself in this tournament that he’s much better than what he was before.”I clearly remember, he flew in the night before the first game and got four wickets immediately. Even today, he didn’t bowl 10 overs, but his batting and fielding abilities are very, very crucial to the team. I think what he did on the field, that run-out of Mithun was the turning point. I think that is something that gave us a way to come back into the game. Also as a team we understand what sort of a player he is, what he brings to the table. His batting again today, although he made around 25-odd, it was so crucial. In the context of a match, it was as good as scoring a half-century.”

She was suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect, on the same day that saw her named in the squad for the World T20

Liam Brickhill09-Oct-2018South Africa’s preparations for next month’s Women’s World T20 have been struck a major blow after offspinner Raisibe Ntozakhe was found to have an illegal bowling action and was suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect. The ICC made the announcement on the same day that Ntozakhe was named in South Africa’s squad of 15 for the tournament.Ntozakhe was reported during the ODI against West Indies on September 16 in Barbados and had undergone an independent assessment of her bowling action on September 28 at the University of Pretoria. The assessment revealed that all of her deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.In accordance with ICC regulations, Ntozakhe’s international suspension will also be recognised and enforced by all National Cricket Federations for domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction. However, she may still be able to bowl in domestic cricket events played under the auspices of Cricket South Africa, and can apply for a re-assessment after modifying her bowling action.CSA has taken immediate steps to work with Ntozakhe’s remodelling of her action, and she will be based at the CSA Centre of Excellence, working with High Performance manager Vincent Barnes.*”The timing of this issue for Raisibe and for our World T20 squad is clearly inopportune but we need to deal with it,” CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said. “We will work hard to remedy her action and have her retested as soon as practically possible. We are fortunate to have invested in an ICC accredited laboratory in South Africa and this will certainly make a quick turnaround possible.”South Africa’s national selection panel is mulling possible replacement options for the Women’s World T20, and an announcement is expected to be made shortly. Should CSA name a replacement player prior to the start of the Women’s World T20 support period on 2 November 2018, it will not require approval from the Event Technical Committee.

Australia’s Test skipper made just 16 as Tasmania collapsed to 185 all out against South Australia at the Bellerive Oval

Alex Malcolm27-Nov-2018A four-wicket haul to in-form swing bowler Daniel Worrall put South Australia in a strong position at stumps on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.Worrall bagged 4 for 42 following his 10-wicket haul against Western Australia in Adelaide last week to help dismiss the home side for 185 late on day one.The Redbacks were more than happy to make first use of a very green pitch at Bellerive with skipper Travis Head electing to bowl first after winning the toss.Some overhead cloud cover only added to the favourable bowling conditions, and Worrall thrived. He had this season’s second-highest run-scorer Alex Doolan caught behind in the seventh over with a delivery that angled in from the wide of the crease before shaping away to catch the edge. He then pinned Jordan Silk in front with a late inswinger in the 13th over.Ben McDermott and Jake Doran fought hard for 23 overs in the trying conditions adding 43 before McDermott was given out lbw to Nick Winter for 24. McDermott, Doran and George Bailey all reached 20 but none passed 30 as the ball continued to nip and swing all afternoon.New Tasmania skipper Matthew Wade again propped up the lower order, top-scoring with 43. But he too fell caught behind the wicket just as Doran, Bailey and Tim Paine had done before him. Worrall bowled Gabe Bell to wrap up the innings with his fourth wicket.South Australia openers Jake Weatherald and Conor McInerney survived two overs before stumps but neither got off the mark.

The batsman left Australia on Sunday to attend to his wife and newborn daughter in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2018Rohit Sharma will miss the New Year’s Test in Sydney to attend to his wife, who gave birth to a baby daughter on Sunday. Rohit left for Mumbai on Sunday, and will only return to Australia on January 8 to join the ODI squad. The Sydney Test is scheduled to run from January 3 to 7.The selectors have not named a replacement for Rohit in the Test squad. Rohit, who missed the second Test in Perth with a lower-back injury, played the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, scoring an unbeaten 63 in the first innings.His return to the side at No. 6 pushed Hanuma Vihari up the order to open alongside debutant Mayank Agarwal, with India dropping both their openers from the Perth Test, M Vijay and KL Rahul.In Rohit’s absence, India have a number of options for the Sydney Test. Vihari could return to the middle order with either Vijay or Rahul coming back into the side, or the seam-bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya could directly replace Rohit at No. 6. If the Sydney pitch looks conducive to spin, another option, if the offspinner R Ashwin has regained full fitness after missing the last two Tests with a side strain, could be to go in with two spinners, Ravindra Jadeja being the other, and three fast bowlers.

Ollie Davies, the New South Wales Metro captain, smashed 207 off 115 balls including 17 sixes

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-20180:54

WATCH – Aus U-19 cricketer Davies hits six sixes in an over

A young Australian batsman has hit six sixes in over during a record-breaking double century at the Cricket Australia Under 19 Male National Championships in Adelaide.Ollie Davies, the New South Wales Metro captain who plays for Manly-Warringah CC in Sydney, smashed 207 off 115 balls in a total of 4 for 406. It was the first double hundred scored in the U-19 one-day male championships and the first in the championships overall since Jason Krejza in 2001-02.It was in the 40th over of the innings that Davies completed his full set of sixes during a stay that included 17 in total. His second century needed just 39 balls.”I was looking to hit the good balls for one and then anything loose was looking to pounce on and take over the fence,” Davies said. “After the first two sixes I had in the back of my head that I wanted to give it a crack and it paid off at the end. I was just trying to target forward of square and cow corner, getting down on the back leg before it was even bowled and trying to slog sweep.”

They put on an unbroken 158 for the opening stand to consolidate the Hurricanes’ position at the top of the table

The Report by Daniel Brettig21-Jan-2019Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short dismantled Adelaide Strikers to record only the second ever 10-wicket victory in the eight-year history of the Big Bash League, at the same time extending their lead at the top of the competition table.Perth Scorchers had done the trick over Melbourne Renegades via the innings of Shaun Marsh and Michael Klinger in December 2015, getting to a target of 171 with eight balls remaining. But Wade and Short continued to lead the way for the Hurricanes, the captain working as the initial aggressor before Short began to catch-up, reeling in the Strikers with a yawning 19 balls to spare.They had been given a more than manageable task by the excellence of the Hurricanes’ attack, Jofra Archer and James Faulkner keeping the Strikers very quiet, even if Colin Ingram was able to find the range of Riley Meredith late in the hosts’ innings.Archer hits the mark
A strength of the Hurricanes this tournament has been the sheer depth of their attack, with Archer, Faulkner, Meredith and Johan Botha all playing key roles at varying times – the first three all having topped 10 wickets for the BBL so far. So when the Strikers got a hold of Meredith at Adelaide Oval after his early dismissal of Jake Weatherald, others were ready to take up the strain, namely Archer.Matthew Wade lifts one over the leg side•Getty Images

Across four overs, all bowled non consecutively, Archer conceded only one boundary while at the same time picking up the more than useful wickets of Matt Short and Rashid Khan. More so than the wickets, it was Archer’s sheer discipline that maintained pressure and opened up avenues for others, including Faulkner, who picked up a pair of victims of his own during a spell in which he conceded only one more run than Archer.Ingram holds it together
At 3 for 50 in the 10th over after the loss of Alex Carey, the Strikers were staring at a total well short of 150 on what appeared an excellent Adelaide pitch. In the absence of Travis Head, Colin Ingram has proven himself to be a creditable captain with the bat and in the field, leading his team’s run-makers in the process. This night he provided another indicator the Strikers had made a wise choice, as he produced a salvaging innings of quality.Starting with a clean blow over midwicket off the bowling of Botha, Ingram found a useful ally in Jon Wells, building up to the 19th over from Merddith in which he piled up 22 runs to ensure the Strikers made it past the 150 mark. If he was unable to be quite as damaging to Clive Rose in the final over of the innings, Ingram had still given what looked to be a potentially defensible total. Looked to be.Wade goes off
Hobart’s ascendancy has often been started by the way that Wade and Short have been able to dictate terms, and it wasn’t long before the captain had Strikers fans starting to think about making an early exit from Adelaide Oval. The usually excellent Rashid Khan dropped short to be pulled for four in the second over, and the Hurricanes scarcely looked back from there.Wade took a particular liking to his erstwhile Australia team-mate Billy Stanlake, hammering the tall Queenslander for 26 from 12 balls faced, while Ben Laughlin and Michael Neser also conceded strike rates of more than 200 runs to Wade. For a time it appeared as though Wade might get as far as three figures, before a previously conservative Short took over.Short finishes off
A criticism of Short during his international career so far has been a tendency to soak up too many balls before getting out. But with a confident and aggressive partner in Wade, he has been able to pace himself this BBL, with often devastating effect.As the Hurricanes closed in on the win, Short crashed 28 runs from his final nine balls, including 17 off Rashid’s last over. With the finals beckoning, the Hurricanes could scarcely be rolling along any better.

Mohan de Silva and Ravin Wickremaratne have been voted in as secretary and vice president respectively, while K Mathivanan also returns as vice president

Madushka Balasuriya21-Feb-2019Shammi Silva has been elected president of Sri Lanka Cricket. Drawing in 83 out of a possible 142 votes Silva, a candidate backed by former president Thilanga Sumathipala, beat Jayantha Dharmadasa, who received 56 votes.Despite the many delays and swings in fortune over the course of the last several months, when elections were postponed indefinitely and SLC was run by a sports ministry-appointed Competent Authority, the final tally of votes means essentially the same faces return to power.Alongside Silva, other members of the previous executive committee in Mohan de Silva and Ravin Wickremaratne have been voted in again, this time as secretary and vice-president respectively. K Mathivanan also returns as vice president, the only member of the Dharmadasa faction to be elected.The results translate to yet another unhappy election outcome for the brothers Ranatunga. Former World Cup winning captain Arjuna lost out narrowly in the race for vice-president, racking up 72 votes to Wickremaratne’s 82 and Mathivanan’s 80, while the younger Ranatunga, Nishantha, running for the post of secretary, picked up just 43 votes to de Silva’s 96.The end result is a mere shuffling of the same people, with Sumathipala and Dharmadasa the only major players missing out among the office bearers voted in during SLC’s last elections in 2016.In the race for other positions, Lasantha Wickremasinghe (100 votes) beat Eastman Narangoda (37) to the post of treasurer, while Lalith Rambukwella (92) was voted in ahead of Sanjaya Senarath (42) for assistant treasurer. Chrishantha Kapuwatha (94) was voted in assistant secretary ahead of Hirantha Perera (44).In the preceding weeks both de Silva, who was set to run for president, and Wickremaratne, who was up for the post of secretary, had been banned by an election appeals committee after being adjudged to have violated Sri Lanka’s Sports Law, which as per a 2016 amendment prevents any previous office bearer of a national sports body which had been dissolved by government from contesting in any future elections. The pair had been part of ousted committees in 2001 and 2005.In response, de Silva and Wickremaratne challenged the ruling in an appeals court, which was where a loophole was discovered. As it transpired, while de Silva and Wickramaratne had put their names in the hat for multiple positions, the objections filed against them had only referenced some of those posts. Essentially, this allowed the pair to contest on the condition that it wasn’t for the posts they were banned from.It is unclear who is at fault for these clerical errors, but in any event it left the legal counsel representing the Sports Ministry no choice but to let de Silva and Wickremaratne contest for the posts of secretary and vice president. The writ petition hearings though are set to continue on 21 March.This turn of events is thought to have swayed voter sentiment. Until then Silva, a backup candidate to de Silva, was to run for president against Dharmadasa, while the coveted posts of vice president and secretary were set to be run virtually uncontested by those in the Dharmadasa camp – a situation that, had it prevailed, would almost certainly have seen Dharmadasa come out victorious in the presidential stakes.That events panned out in this manner, while unexpected, was not wholly surprising. Thilanga Sumathipala has long been identified as the most powerful force in Sri Lanka Cricket, and despite not contesting this time around, he has continued to cast a wide shadow. Most notably in the strong voting bloc he possesses, which is likely what eventually won Silva the presidential race.One of the primary election strategies for Dharmadasa and his camp had been to neutralise this threat. Nishantha Ranatunga’s court case against Sumathipala, which eventually led to the latter withdrawing his candidacy, and Dharmadasa’s objection to Mohan de Silva’s candidacy had seemingly achieved this goal successfully.So much so that Dharmadasa had been favourite to take the post right up until the eve of the elections. But that late compromise between Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry and the previously disqualified pair of de Silva and Wickremaratne reinstating them in the race, gave the Sumathipala-backed faction the numbers they needed.It is a scarcely believable fact that Shammi Silva learned of his candidacy for president on the eve of the race; Silva is in essence president by accident. Though by now, not many are in doubt as to who exactly is running the show.

The second half of the final was washed out, denying the selectors a proper look at the fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Apr-2019Rain washed out the entire second innings of the final of Sri Lanka’s Super Four Provincial Limited-Over tournament, but not before Lahiru Thirimanne threw his hat in the ring for a World Cup berth, hitting 115 off 128 balls.Thanks in part to the platform that Thirimanne had set, the Galle team’s lower middle order amassed some quick runs towards the close of the innings, to propel the team to an imposing 337 for 7. The most notable among the middle-order contributions was that of Wanindu Hasaranga, who struck 13 fours and a six in a 53-ball innings that yielded 87. Milinda Siriwardana, Minod Bhanuka and Lahiru Madushanka also produced quick runs through the final overs.There were no standout performers from among Colombo’s bowlers, with five players taking no more than one wicket apiece. Significantly, however, Akila Dananjaya – who had taken a five-wicket haul in his previous game – went wicketless in the final, conceding 63 from his nine overs.Thirimanne’s hundred means he ends the tournament as its second-highest run-scorer, with 213 at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate of 81.92. Only Angelo Mathews, who made 227 runs at an average of 56.75, fared better. With the team’s regular openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella having fared poorly throught the Super Four tournament, Thirimanne perhaps has an outside shot of making the World Cup squad. Dimuth Karunaratne – a potential captain – produced the second-highest run tally from among the opening candidates, hitting 165 at an average of 55.The rain meant the selectors could not have a proper look at fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. With Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana virtually certain to feature in the World Cup squad, the selectors are understood to be mulling over several of their other fast-bowling options. Chameera took four wickets at an average of 23.00 in the three previous games.With the Super Four tournament now concluded – Galle and Colombo shared the trophy – the selectors will finalise their World Cup squad over the next few days.

Finch addressed the media after their third and final warm-up game against New Zealand in Brisbane, and also praised Steven Smith’s successful return into the Australian set-up

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane10-May-20191:18

Don’t have a fixed opening combination yet – Finch

Australia still have a “lot of questions to answer” before their opening World Cup match, according to captain Aaron Finch, but being able to call on the experience of six previous winners in their 15-man squad could be a key factor as they attempt to defend their title and claim the tournament for the sixth time.The squad completed their Brisbane camp with the third match against a New Zealand XI on Friday, Steven Smith hitting an unbeaten 91 and Glenn Maxwell a flamboyant 70. They then went straight to the airport to fly to Turkey for a visit to Gallipoli, a trip that Steve Waugh’s 2001 Ashes side had undertaken too. From there, they reach London in the middle of next week ahead of their final warm-up period before opening their campaign on June 1 against Afghanistan in Bristol.ALSO READ: Langer ‘slept better’ after Smith’s show of formFinch, one of the six players who were part of the 2015 triumph on home soil, along with Smith, Maxwell, David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, said a World Cup is a “different” experience from the bilateral series that form most of a players’ career.”I think it’s a big advantage, just to know what it takes to win a World Cup and what it takes to manage your way through a campaign which can be difficult,” Finch said. “You have to be at your best at the business end but you can’t afford to let anything slip at the start. Six guys who have been there and done that will give a lot of experience to the others of what to expect, what to feel walking out there because it is different.”When you talk so much about it, when it finally happens it’s a relief to be looking forward. The fact everyone is together and getting on great, the boys are pumped to ramp up the preparations. It really is the time of your life a World Cup so that will be awesome.”Australia are not favourites for the tournament but are in much better shape than they were just a few months ago, having strung together eight wins in a row away against India and Pakistan. However, the final build-up, dominated by the return of Smith and Warner, has filled in all the blanks with the batting order, though bowling combinations are yet to be firmed.They used three different opening partnerships in the three matches in Brisbane as well as other tweaks to the order. It remains likely that Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh are playing off for one position.”I think it’s just about giving everyone an opportunity at the top of the order to get some game time as much as anything,” Finch said. “I think it’s a good opportunity to mix and match and with the three games in the UK we might keep everyone guessing a bit, but the honest answer is, no, we don’t have a definitive answer on what that will look like at the moment. There are a lot of questions still to be answer but we are in a great place to do that.”ALSO READ: How busy are Australia’s cricketers?Finch was the only one to score a half-century opening the innings in the three matches with Warner not quite able to continue his serene progress from the IPL. Smith produced the two most significant innings of the week with his brace of unbeaten knocks.”His [Smith] timing and class was back again,” Finch said. “It was like he hadn’t left. His drives down the ground on a really difficult wicket to time off the front foot was so impressive, just the amount of time he spent in the middle and how he went through the gears was very impressive.”Smith was also active in offering advice to the captains, Finch in the first two matches and Alex Carey in the last one, with the team happy to lean on the experience of their former captain and Warner, the former vice-captain.”They are two of the best players in the world which is valuable to have at your disposal,” Finch said. “The boys have been brilliant. All the work off the field with the team has been great. It’s an interesting time, no doubt, when they are coming back in but still a great opportunity for everyone to learn off them as well. They have so much experience and what they bring to the group is really valuable.”