Cutting off Aaron Finch's battered right index finger is the only way the proud Victorian envisages missing the Boxing Day Test he has dreamed of since childhood.
Finch, who worked on his slips catching and then batted for over half an hour on Sunday at the MCG, has declared himself a certain starter for Australia's third Test against India.
It means Victoria will supply both openers for an MCG Test, something that hasn't happened since Paul Sheahan and Keith Stackpole combined in 1973 at the top of the order.
Finch retired hurt in Perth after copping a brutal blow to his right glove, which aggravated a previous fracture, exposed the bone and "felt like it was going to explode".
The opener resumed his second innings of the second Test, lasting a single delivery but notably didn't field as the hosts secured a series-levelling victory.
Finch insists that won't be a problem in Melbourne, suggesting he will be stationed in the slips despite the banged-up digit.
"With a Boxing Day Test, being from Victoria, it's going to have to be cut off (to not play)," Finch quipped.
"It's going to be a catch and bat today and reassess, but it feels like it's improved 100 per cent over the last couple of days.
"I got sent some new bats, so I've been walking around the lounge room and waving them around. It feels OK.
"If anything changes in the next couple of days, we'll have to sit down and chat about that but, at this stage, it's still business as usual and I plan to field at slip and do whatever else is needed."
Finch, facing Mitch Marsh, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon in the nets, grimaced after one stroke but otherwise got through training with no signs of discomfort.
Finch moved house this week, meaning his wife Amy had to do a bit of "heavy lifting" and that the time off wasn't quite as peaceful as it could have been.
But Australia's limited-overs captain, desperate to lock down his spot at the top of the Test order, is feeling physically refreshed after Mohammed Shami inflicted one of the most-painful injuries of his career.
"It was a bit of a shock. Just the initial pain was the thing that got me," Finch said.
"Being hit a few times in the last month (made it worse), a couple of times by Starcy (Mitchell Starc) at training then obviously Shami.
"It's also an old break. I broke the same finger in Sri Lanka a couple of years ago. I've just got to start catching them and using my bat instead of my gloves."
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