Pat to endure with series on line: Finch

Pat Cummins' marathon summer shows no signs of slowing down as Australia aim to maintain their winning momentum in India.

Cummins played a starring role with 3-36 in Friday's 32-run win in Ranchi that kept the five-match series alive against India at 2-1 to the hosts with two games to play.

The right-armer has had his fair share of injury problems in the past but this summer he has featured in six Tests, five one-day internationals and two T20Is to be a rare constant in Australia's bowling attack across all formats.

Australia were expected to rotate their fast bowlers during the Qantas Tour of India but with the fourth match in Mohali on Sunday another must-win clash, captain Aaron Finch said now is not the time to rest his spearhead.

"The way he's bowling, he's been unbelievable with the ball," Finch said yesterday.

"All through the summer – Tests, ODIs, it doesn't matter – he has just been doing the business.

"No doubt Patty has put in a lot of work, so I think going forward we will definitely have to talk about it (rest).

"But at 2-1, series on the line, I don't think so."

While the five ODIs in India and the five to follow in the UAE against Pakistan present Australia's selectors a final look at players before they name their World Cup squad on April 23, Finch says building winning momentum ahead of the quadrennial tournament is vital.

And it's why he expects Australia to continue to pick a full-strength XI while the series is still up for grabs.

"It's been a while since we've won a one-day series, so it's in no way a chance to take the foot off the gas because we've won one game," Finch said.

"It's about continuing to strive forward and keep improving.

"It's about winning series, winning games, getting momentum, getting confidence in the group we can win tight games.

"Keep getting that belief in the group."

Australia's win in Ranchi was owed to damaging starts of each innings.

Having been sent in to bat, Finch and Usman Khawaja combined for a 193-run opening stand that laid the foundation for a match-winning total of 5-313.

Then with the ball, Cummins and youngster Jhye Richardson reduced India's powerful batting order to 3-27 inside seven overs.

The new-ball pair were surgically precise with their lines and lengths, conceding less than a handful of strokes to the leg-side as they zeroed in on off-stump.

Richardson claimed the first wicket of the innings – Shikhar Dhawan caught driving at backward point – as part of an opening spell that began with 16 scoreless deliveries.

Cummins then pinned Rohit Sharma with a delivery that nipped back off the benign surface before bowling No.4 Ambati Rayudu with a brilliant delivery that squared-up the right-hander and clipped the top of off.

Finch found it hard remembering a better opening to an innings from his two rapid pacemen and praised his entire bowling unit for restricting India to 281.

"It was very impressive," he said. "I thought on that wicket the length that they bowled was crucial.

"Any width was always going to get punished as it does in one-day cricket but the length that they bowled early on was crucial.

"Trapping Rohit on the crease was an important wicket but apart from that our bowling was pretty good throughout."

Qantas Tour of India

First T20: Australia won by three wickets

Second T20: Australia won by seven wickets

First ODI: India won by six wickets

Second ODI: India won by eight runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 32 runs

Fourth ODI: March 10, Mohali

Fifth ODI: March 13, Delhi