Australia’s limited-overs skipper, Aaron Finch, on Friday became the second-fastest Aussie batsman to score 5000 runs in ODI cricket. He recorded this feat while playing in the first ODI of the three-match series against India in Sydney.
Finch took 126 innings to reach the 5000th run mark- behind his opening partner, David Warner, who reached this landmark in 115 innings. The right-hander eclipsed late Dean Jones, who took two more innings than Finch. Overall, former South-African opener, Hashim Amla is the fastest to 5000 ODI runs- he needed 101 innings.
Aaron Finch scores his 17th ODI hundred
Meanwhile, Australia is batting first against India in the first ODI and is on a course of big total courtesy mammoth partnerships between openers, David Warner and Aaron Finch, and later Finch and Steve Smith.
Warner and Finch registered a 156-run opening stand. The left-hander was dismissed for 69. The Aussie juggernaut continued as Steve Smith joined hands with the already set Finch. Smith attacked from the start of his innings, and got to his half-century in 36 balls.
On the other end, Finch notched up his 17th ODI hundred – 4th against India – before getting dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah for the score of 114. The top-order trio has given a strong base for the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey to capitalize on it.
At the start of the game, players from both the teams performed a ‘Barefoot Circle’ to respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, connect to each other as opponents and pay respect to the country. They are also wearing a black armband to pay homage to Phil Hughes and Dean Jones.
Australia is hosting India for 3 ODI, 3 T20Is and a 4-Test match series. Indian captain, Virat Kohli will miss the last three Tests as he will return to India to attend the birth of his first child with wife and Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma.
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