Can Aaron Finch fight red-ball fever? Is Aaron Finch good enough to play Test cricket? That was the question I was asking myself as I left the MCG last weekend after his brilliant 121 against England. It was out of character for Finch to play the way he did. Chasing down large totals at the MCG is very difficult and he made it look so easy. He really impressed me with some quality shot selection and placement of the ball. We all know he can smash it to all parts, but it was his forward defence that held up well enough to allow him to play one of the most important innings of his career. So why hasn't he done well facing the red ball? Hopefully Finchy had a quiet half-hour to reflect on how and why he played so well. It was a brilliant, controlled innings that raised many an eyebrow. Many past players thought he wasn't capable of such a quality knock. I was in awe of his running between the wickets, as he only hit nine boundaries by the time he reached his hundred. Has the penny dropped that he can make great hundreds without smashing it? Finch has become the first Victorian to make a one-day international century in 115 matches played at the MCG. Cricket Victoria realises it has been found floundering in the past 30 years at providing batsmen to play for Australia. With well over 220,000 registered cricketers playing in Victoria, its record at providing quality batsmen for Australia has been poor, to say the least. There are many factors, but many of our Victorian batsmen have had poor defensive skills. One major cause for this is covered pitches in Victorian Premier Cricket that create many flat decks with minimal bounce and not much swing. So many batsmen just jump onto the front foot, not watching length, and hit through the line. When a young batsman gets a chance to play on the MCG, their skills are found wanting due to the steeper bounce and swing. That is why it is imperative for Cricket Victoria to have its own facility at Junction Oval to improve the skills of batsmen coming through. More nets and drop-in pitches similar to the MCG will make it easier for young batsmen to learn. Players like Finch need these facilities to become quality Test batsmen. Finch has worked out the Twenty20 game and is learning how to consistently play well in the one-day international arena. But his record in the Sheffield Shield in the past three years is abysmal: only 441 runs in 27 innings at a paltry average of 15. Simply, Finch has not worked out how to play the red ball well. He doesn't know how to score and what are the best percentage plays. He just looks unorganised and lost. Test cricket and Sheffield Shield cricket are difficult to play because the red ball swings and seams around longer than the white ball. This is because the pitches are prepared differently for the white ball, which allows batsmen to hit through the line more, so more runs are scored. Finch's major problem is his defence. His forward defence breaks down early in his innings and he has a jumpy back-foot defence. Finch is 27. He has his best years ahead of him and time to improve, but does he want to? Is it too much of a burden to him? Finchy's flaw starts when he tries to get his front foot outside the off stump in fear of being trapped leg before wicket, which makes him play around his front foot when defending. This movement makes it difficult for him to play straight for an outswinger pitched on leg and middle stumps. His bat doesn't come through straight as his front pad is in the way and creates a hole in his defence. He needs to work on it because he won't last long in Test cricket if he gets the chance. I hear that Finchy has this burning desire to play Test cricket and wear the beloved baggy green. The first change must be his attitude to batting. Does he love defending as much as he loves hitting fours? Even the great Sachin Tendulkar's game was based on 70 per cent defence. You could see Sachin enjoying the contest and having great pride in his defensive game. I don't see that in Finch. It looks like a chore to him, like taking out the bins. If you want to make a Shield century,you must keep out at least 10 quality deliveries. Is Finch's defence good enough to cope with that? Obviously not! Also, I wonder if Aaron is his best mate when batting. Occasionally, you must give yourself a high five to keep those negative thoughts out when batting. Finchy's other problem is that he doesn't understand how much he must watch each ball and watch for length. Finch gets out bowled and lbw way too much for my liking as he doesn't look for length and pre-meditates too much. I feel that he is way too happy to sit on the crease and play the line, rather than get to the pitch of the ball. The correct sequence when batting is head to the ball first, then the foot, then the hands. Finch gets out of sequence way too much. He needs someone to work with him in the nets and work through every ball until he understands it. Finch recently made 97 from 240 balls for Victoria in a shield match and came off the ground exhausted. He couldn't believe how hard it was and it was a huge lesson for him. But what I loved most in last weekend's century was his strategic plans on which bowler to attack and who to defend against. Finch must realise that the same tactics are used in first-class and Test cricket. I do believe that if Finchy committed himself to his technique, he can master the red-ball game. He just needs some love and care and I feel he can turn around his first-class fortunes dramatically. My advice to Aaron is to remember the fantastic ovation he received at the MCG when he made his one-day international ton, then try to imagine what it would have felt like if he made it in front of 92,000 wearing a baggy green? Is the hard slog worth it? It is, mate, and if you don't believe me, go and ask Chris Rogers and he will tell you.