Tuesday, 30 June 2020:
 | | AARON FINCH of Australia plays a shot during game two of the One Day International series between Australia and England at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia. | |
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Australia will soon gain an insight into whether a saliva ban has taken the shine off Test cricket, but Aaron Finch is confident the contentious law change won't affect limited-overs games.
The sport's COVID-19 era, in which players are barred from using spit to work on the ball, begins in earnest with a Test between England and West Indies on July 8.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have all expressed concerns about whether the new rule will further tip Test cricket in favour of batsmen.
The issue is particularly concerning for Australia as there has been little assistance for Test bowlers at home in recent years.
"In Test cricket there has to be some way to get that balance between bat and ball right," Finch said, having opened against India during their previous Test tour of Australia.
"If the ball isn't swinging and seaming it'll become a pretty batter-dominated game.
"Whether it's spin, swing or seam - it doesn't matter - as long as that contest is there. It's important to try and find what is right to get that balance."
Finch, captain of Australia's ODI and Twenty20 teams, predicted the same law change would not have a major impact on white-ball cricket.
"With two new balls, the balls generally swing for an over or two at either end in one-day cricket," Finch said.
"Then there's not a huge amount of reverse, because the ball stays quite new."
Aside from gaining an insight into how coronavirus measures will affect the sport, Australia will be keen to see how Ben Stokes fares in his first Test as skipper.
Joe Root will leave the squad for the birth of his second child next week, with Stokes expected to captain.
"He's been in leadership roles for a while. He's a great player and has the respect of their group, I know that for sure," Finch said.
"He'll do it his own way ... every captain is different. He'll find what works for him."
