No starting trouble: Phil Hughes, Aaron Finch making an impact at No.1 and 2

Phil Hughes and Aaron Finch are making an impact at No.1 and 2 for Australia

On Tuesday during Australia's net session at the JSCA International Stadium, Phil Hughes was batting against a local left-arm spinner. To one short ball, Hughes rocked back, having positioned himself for a cut shot. The ball kept low, and Hughes adjusted for the lack of bounce, opening the face of his bat to glide the ball into the off side. That one stroke spoke volumes of the left-handed opener's new-found confidence.

Hughes's opening partner Aaron Finch, in another net, was in a marauding mood, lofting both pacers and spinners with ease. Finch, 27, is a Victorian, while Hughes, two years younger, is from New South Wales. They've grown up together, shared rooms in the Australian Cricket Academy, and now are in the process of developing a fine chemistry at the top of the order for Australia in limited-overs cricket.

Much has been said about the Indian bowlers' non-performance in the first three ODIs. But some credit ought to go to the Australian opening duo for putting the Indian seamers under pressure and setting up the foundations of their team's big totals.

Hughes and Finch paired up for the first time as openers in Southampton two months ago. They only put on 13 runs in that game, but Australia decided to stick to the same combination for the series against India. Statistics suggest it was a wise move. In the first match at Pune they put on 110 with Finch scoring 72 (79) and Hughes 47 (53). In Jaipur, they put on 74, with Finch scoring 50 (53) and Hughes 83 (103). The third ODI in Mohali saw them blunt the new ball and add 68 runs. They clearly like batting with each other.

"Aaron's very good to bat with. Standing at the other end, I've got the best seat in the house when he goes off. We've had a really good relationship over the last five to ten years actually. We roomed together at the Academy and always kept in touch. Aaron's just a fantastic guy and cricketer. I love going out to bat with him," says Hughes. At the same time, Hughes added that he was still not completely satisfied.

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No starting trouble: Phil Hughes, Aaron Finch making an impact at No.1 and 2