Starc new ball snub an attempt to break losing streak, says Finch

MELBOURNE: Australia captain Aaron Finch said relieving pace spearhead Mitchell Starc of new ball duties in the opening One-day International against South Africa was an attempt to snap his team’s horror run of losses, albeit one that had backfired.

Eyebrows were raised when Nathan Coulter-Nile opened the bowling with Josh Hazlewood in Sunday’s series-opener in Perth, breaking Starc’s three-year streak of opening the bowling in internationals.

The ploy was quickly shelved when Coulter-Nile was hammered for 16 runs in his first over, and South Africa’s batsmen easily mowed down the hosts’ paltry 152 to win by six wickets.“We’d planned to go in with Coults (Coulter-Nile) and Josh (Hazlewood) with the new ball,” Finch said after Australia lost by six wickets.

“It didn’t work out for Coults in the first over today, then we went to Starcy pretty quick.“It’s just a tactical thing to be honest. Sixteen out of 18 losses in a row, 17 out of 19 now, we’re looking for something to try, to try some new things, something different.

“If you keep doing the same thing over and over it’s the definition of insanity, isn’t it?”The bowlers were hardly to blame for Australia’s humiliation in their first match of the home summer, having been set a thankless task to defend 152 by the batsmen at the new Perth stadium.