While back troubles have been a semi-regular companion for Finch in the recent past, he attributed the side strain to Victoria’s run glut against South Australia in the summer’s first round of Shield games.Batting at number five rather than in his regular white-ball role as opener, Finch was effectively a spectator as Victoria’s top-order piled on 3-473 before he went to the wicket in the 124th over, and promptly flayed 57 from 44 balls.“It was just sitting down for a couple of days in that Shield game at the Junction, and then coming out and trying to swing a bit too hard,” Finch said of the side strain’s cause.“There wasn’t one (shot) in particular, but it could have been any number. I went pretty hard.”If Finch, who led Australia at this year’s ODI World Cup in the UK and is expected to do the same for the T20 World Cup at home next year, is unavailable he has two deputies ready to take on the role.

While joint vice-captains Pat Cummins and Alex Carey are yet to lead Australia at international level and boast little captaincy experience in senior interstate competition, they are undaunted at the prospect of taking the helm.“If I was to take the reins for that game (against Sri Lanka on Sunday), I’d be more than happy to do that,” Carey said today.