Australian all-rounder Ashton Agar is keen to improve his batting as he is targeting the role of a finisher for the team in the forthcoming T20 World Cup in India next year.
Since the spinner has established himself in the T20I format with the ball over the past year, the 26-year-old now wants to win more games for his country with the bat as well and even claimed that he is making “small steps” in learning the art of finishing an innings to earn the pivotal position.
His comments came after the left-hander played a fine 20-ball knock of 23 at no.7 in the second defeated T20I against England in Southampton – where the spinner has also picked up four wickets.
Being one of the frontline bowlers, Ashton has been getting the opportunities to bat at no. 6 and 7 in the T20Is and the all-rounder feels he “can fit into the finisher’s well” in Australia's T20I side.
Agar said ahead of the final T20I against England: “It's definitely a role that I've identified that if I can fit into well I can really help the team. It's a tough role and one I really need to improve on because it's really important at that backend of an innings. To get an extra 10-15 runs out of that position in a minimal amount of balls, that can be the difference either setting or chasing.”
He further added, “It is a difficult role, coming in with minimal balls left and you could be in different situations. I've seen that vary a lot in the last two games. Generally, you have a batsman at the other end and the key to getting your innings started is getting them on strike, finding your boundaries when you can.
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I feel like I'm slowly learning to figure that role, trying to play some better cricket shots, limit the number of balls I hit in the air at the start, and hopefully take it as deep as I can to try and finish off an innings. Yesterday was maybe a small step forward in that direction.”
The spinner was also disappointed with Australia’s two defeats in the ongoing UK tour and if England manages to win the Tuesday’s T20I, they would be the number-one ranked team in the format.
He signed off by saying, “It really hurts to lose a series but we look around the changing room and we know we are a really good T20 team and if we win a couple of those small moments it shows we are super competitive against the best teams in the world. To match it with a team who has had a summer of cricket and been playing really well, coming off no cricket, we are very close.”
(With ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
