World champions tag means you are favourites, says Aaron Finch ahead of India series

New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial five-match ODI series at home against India, Australia's opening batsman Aaron Finch has stated that the 2015 ICC World Cup triumph has the hosts as favourites going into the tournament.

Australia had beaten India in the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup and Finch said it feels good to be in that position as favourites.

He also stated that when a team has the tag it means they have played good cricket and there is excitement around the side.

"When you have that tag, that means you have played good cricket. It means you are favourites or there is excitement around your team because you have played so well in the past and I think that is something for which we can hold our head high.”

He went on further to add that the Aussies had a great World Cup and they deserve the tag of being favourites for the series against India.

"We had a great World Cup, we had a great couple of years leading into it. So, I think we deserve that tag and there is no reason why there shouldn't be a big build-up and such excitement around our team," he said.

Finch believes the hosts can put the visitors in a spot of bother at the WACA in Perth although India last played here in 2004 and the pitch has changed since then.

"The Perth wicket has changed over the last few years. I don't think that there is same amount of carry that used to be. But there is extra bounce and that's something that they will have to adjust to and we can start to exploit that straightaway in the very first game of the series."

(With inputs from PTI)