Opening batsman Aaron Finch will open the batting in Australia’s third Test against India in Melbourne this month, despite nursing a painful finger injury.

Finch’s right hand was struck by a rising delivery from seamer Mohammed Shami in the second Test in Perth. He was forced to retire hurt, but has not been ruled out of the clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

‘It was a bit of a shock, just the initial pain was the thing that got me. It felt like it was going to explode, which was quite funny. I think just being hit a few times in the last month, a couple times by Mitchell Starc at training and then Shami out in the game, but it’s also an old break,’ said Finch.

‘I broke the same finger in Sri Lanka a couple of years ago, so I’ve got to start either catching them or use my bat instead of my gloves. It was up there as the most painful. I think snapping my hamstring tendon in April 2015 was probably the most over the last few years.’

Whether Finch retains a vital position in the slip cordon, though, remains in the balance. Finch has become a key member of the cordon in the absence of former captain Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner.

‘I’m going to catch in slips at training and do my normal preparation. If anything changes in the next couple days I’m sure we’ll have to sit down and chat about that, but at this stage it’s still business as usual and I plan to field at slip and whatever else is needed,’ he added.

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