PERTH: Skipper Aaron Finch admits self-doubt is creeping into Australia’s batsmen after another woeful display against South Africa, but he insists ‘the wheel will turn’.

The home side slumped to a crushing six-wicket defeat with more than 20 overs to spare in the opening One-day International in Perth on Sunday, dispelling any hope a corner might have been turned after a grim eight months since the ball-tampering scandal.

They have now crashed to 17 losses in their last 19 ODIs, including an unparalleled seven defeats in a row, with batting failures a feature for much of the year.

“You’d say that guys are probably at times doubting themselves,” Finch said.

On Sunday they were reduced to 8-3 and 66-6 before Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) and Alex Carey (33) steered them to 152 all out.

“When you’re 8-3, you probably have to go and play a different style of one-day cricket than what you map out in your head about how you think the game will unf­old,” Finch said. “When guys are not performing as well as they can do, there’s always going to be a bit of doubt.”

With less than seven months until the start of the World Cup, Finch is adamant Australia’s luck will change.

“It will turn,” he said. “The way we are training and preparing, the wheel will turn, and it will happen quickly.

“You’re only one good shot away from feeling on top of the world again. I think it’s about understanding and it is not all doom and gloom.”

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2018