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Finch backs pink balls in ODIs

Aaron Finch has backed a pink ball trial in one-day internationals after Australia again reeled in a 300-plus target set by India.

Australian batsman Aaron Finch
Australian opener Aaron Finch has backed a pink ball trial in one-day internationals. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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It pains him to say it but Australian opener Aaron Finch admits he can see the benefits of a pink ball trial in one-day international cricket.

Finch (71) gleefully chimed into Australia's record ODI Gabba run chase as the hosts reeled in India's 8-308 with six balls to spare, sealing a stunning seven-wicket win on Friday night.

However, Finch admitted small totals and close finishes appealed most to him as a ODI fan.

And he reluctantly conceded pink balls may just achieve that.

"I must say growing up watching cricket and even now you see a chase of 200 on a wicket that has a bit in it - they do tend to be exciting games," he said.

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"I certainly don't want to see the wickets juiced up but ...there is an argument for it (pink balls).

"But I haven't thought about pink balls too much - and at the end of the day people still want to see runs, and so do I."

Finch's comments came after India legend Sunil Gavaskar asked for pink balls to be trialled in ODIs in a bid to curb the bat's dominance.

Gavaskar described the white ball as a "nothing doing ball" in the wake of Australia's five-wicket opening ODI win in Perth on Tuesday in which 620 runs were amassed and just eight wickets fell.

Another 617 runs for the fall of 11 wickets were compiled at the Gabba on Friday night.

"What could be interesting is that with the success of the pink ball it may (be) used in limited-overs cricket to even the balance between bat and ball," Gavaskar told The Indian Express newspaper.

"It needs to be experimented at domestic level.

"Maybe the IPL can have a few matches where they can experiment with the pink ball in the initial stages and see how it goes."


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