Strategy behind using Starc as a pinch-hitter explained

The plan to bat Mitchell Starc at No.5 was hatched by Australia captain Aaron Finch and stand-in coach Andrew McDonald before the Indian one-day series even started in Mumbai.

Starc shocked everyone during the third ODI on Sunday when he walked out in the 32nd over, ahead of recognised batters Alex Carey, Ashton Turner and Ashton Agar in Bengaluru.

The plan for the quick to up the scoring didn't come off, finding the cow corner fielder for a third-ball duck as he looked to take down Ravindra Jadeja.

Australia managed a below-par 9-286 from their 50 overs, before India cruised to victory with seven wickets and 15 balls to spare to clinch the series 2-1.

Starc is not a noted batsman and had not walked out before No.7 in his one-day career before Sunday.

However the left-hander is renowned for his lower-order hitting in Test cricket, hitting seven sixes in one innings against Pakistan at the MCG in 2016, and favours the slog sweep.

"Myself and Andrew spoke about it before the first game," Finch said.

"We felt as though Mumbai probably wasn't the right surface, but felt here was.

"Especially against Jadeja, the left-arm spinner spinning it into him. He just didn't hit it out of the middle.

"I still support the move 100 per cent, it just didn't come off today. But it was definitely an aggressive move."

Australia haven't employed such a tactic from a front-line bowler since Mitchell Johnson hit 57 off 59 to help them chase down England's 333 at the SCG in 2011.

Runs through the later overs were a problem for Australia in their two losses in India, as Turner and Agar failed to back up Steve Smith's brilliance.

But Finch claimed the move was as much about disrupting India's plans, believing it could force them to bring on the pace bowlers earlier and stop them from having their quicks at the end.

"We felt as though it was an aggressive move, especially against the left-arm spin," Finch said.

"He can smack a few and if he went out there and hit a couple of sixes, we were hoping it could potentially change their tactics and they would have to bring one of their quicks back earlier.

"That just didn't happen."

Australia Qantas ODI Tour of India 2020

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (vc), Pat Cummins (vc), Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa

India squad: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami.

First ODI: Australia win by 10 wickets in Mumbai

Second ODI: India win by 36 runs in Rajkot

Third ODI: India win by seven wickets in Bengaluru