Mitchell Starc is one of the deadliest new ball bowlers in the world and becomes a beast in his home conditions. Josh Hazlewood has arguably been the best T20 bowler since last year and the top-ranked T20I bowler, and Pat Cummins is the number 1 ranked Test bowler. These three forms an intimidating fast-bowling trio.
But when a 23-year-old Finn Allen came to bat in what was his first-ever T20 World Cup match on Saturday, at the almost full-house SCG, there seemed to be no jitters in him; there was only one mantra: go out and play your shots, show the Aussies your aggression. And the young opener did exactly.
Finn Allen’s special knock was filled with ultra-aggression
He stunned everyone when he slammed Starc down the ground second ball of the over. The next ball, raising more eyes and opening more jaws, a thumping six down the ground and concluded the over with another boundary.
Allen faced two balls from Hazlewood and hit one for four. Cummins was treated with utter disdain, which by the time was no surprise: 4, 4, 0, 6, 2 – read Cummins to Allen. If these three stalwarts were met with such intent and boundaries, what was medium-pacer Marcus Stoinis to do: nothing: walloped for six.
New Zealand, who were beaten by Australia in last year’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai, were high-flying in Sydney at 56/0 after only 4 overs. Allen hitting 42 of those from only 15 balls. It needed a proper pin-point yorker from Josh Hazlewood to end Allen’s innings, who had advanced down to open the off-side.
Glenn Pocknall, who has worked for a considerable amount of time with Allen, told SportsCafe last year about the talents and special traits of the young, dashing opener. “Finn is a dynamic batsman who likes to score boundaries from ball one and go hard at the opposition. His biggest strength is his power, coupled with his skill to access all areas of the ground.”
Finn Allen’s overall T20 record is staggering: 72 T20s, over 2000 runs at a sizzling strike rate of 171 with the help of 15 fifties and one century. This has helped him bag a contract with RCB for two seasons, but he’s yet to make his IPL debut, which he is expected to do next season.
“His ability to manipulate the ball, hit straight down the ground and also hit behind the wickets with conventional sweeps and reverse sweeps are key strengths of the game, and something that he’ll be looking to do in the IPL against the spinners in some of the tracks they will play on,” Pocknall added.
