Finn looks to do much more than just bowling fast

“From my point of view, I did reasonably well,” Finn said on Wednesday evening. “There wasn’t much more I could have done, I could have got 3 or 4 wickets. We look to attack with the new ball and we have done that quite well in the two games. We created a few opportunities but yes, we could have been in a better position in the first 10 overs.

“94 mph means nothing,” Finn went on. “It’s nice to have that kind of a reference within brackets (express category) but that’s not something I am actually looking to do. I am more focused to where the ball goes and what it does; if you can do that at 94 mph, then it’s brilliant.”

Finn was encouraged by the grass on the Mohali track. “It might change tomorrow,” he quipped. “But the grass doesn’t mean it’s going to be a bowling-friendly wicket. Obviously, you have to land the ball in the right areas.”

Generous use of lip

England were generous with their use of lip when Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were piecing together a double-hundred stand in New Delhi. “We were obviously frustrated,” Finn conceded. “We could have had both of them out a lot early, we created chances and attacked them. They came through that and batted really well in the end. I don’t think it was over-frustration. It’s real positive vibes, everyone sticking together. It’s 11 against two when we are fielding and we certainly made the Indians aware of that.”

Expressing the optimism that his team could still win the series 3-2, Finn said there wasn’t much difference in the brand of cricket the teams are playing now from in England last month. “They probably got the better of the conditions in the first two games but that’s not something we can blame our under-performance on,” he noted. “Obviously, they are a bit more used to the conditions here. But that’s something we learn every game we play here.

We have nothing to lose now. We are playing the world champions in their own conditions.
“The next three games, we are not going to leave anything behind at the dressing room. We have full belief we can win this series.”

Finn had obviously saved the best for last. Asked if the team was planning any changes for the morrow, he retorted, “That’s up to the management team. I am not part of the management. I am just a stupid fast bowler!”