England's Steven Finn (L) celebrates bowling Australia's David Hussey for 13 runs on June 29. Finn is looking forward to seeing "little wizard" Eoin Morgan carry on from where he left off when England face Australia in the second one-day international at The Oval
©AFP/File - Ian Kington

LONDON (AFP) - Steven Finn is looking forward to seeing "little wizard" Eoin Morgan carry on from where he left off when England face Australia in the second one-day international at The Oval here on Sunday.

The left-hander's unbeaten 89 at his Lord's home ground on Friday laid the platform for England's 15-run win in a series opener where Middlesex team-mate Finn and the three other members of the pace attack took two wickets apiece.

It was just the innings former Ireland batsman Morgan needed having being dropped from the Test side after struggling against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year.

Fast bowler Finn, who has known Morgan since they were teenagers, said the middle-order batsman's 63-ball knock, featuring four sixes and five fours, had come as no surprise to him.

"I have played a lot of cricket with Eoin, since we were 16 years old, and I have seen him do it lots of times before," Finn said Saturday.

"It is no surprise he is doing it in international cricket -- he is one of the best players in the world, especially in that sort of situation.

"To have him around with his experience -- he has played a lot of one-day cricket with Ireland, Middlesex and England -- is fantastic.

"How he comes up with some of those shots, I have got no idea. He is a little wizard."

Finn, who has himself been in and out of the England Test side during the past year, said he hoped Morgan could force his way back into the five-day game.

"You have seen a few technical changes he has made that have made a huge difference, and he has been playing really consistently and really well.

"I hope that will lead to a call-up.

"He is very calm. When he bats he is very calculated. He knows what he wants to achieve and knows how he wants to do it.

"Things didn't go quite his way in the Emirates, but we are cricketers and we expect that -- and we move on.

"All you can deal with is what is going to happen in the future; if he gets another opportunity in Test cricket he will take it -- as he has been doing in one-day cricket.

"He went away and had time to clear his head and has come back and been consistent.

"Everyone wants to play Test cricket, and I am sure that is an aim of his."

Should England sweep this series 5-0, they will replace Australia at the top of the one-day international (ODI) world rankings.

However, Finn insisted: "It is a great thing to have there but is something we haven't talked about.

"No one has mentioned it. We are not looking that far ahead.

"There are still four more one-day games, and we will be looking to go 2-0 up in the series.

"Australia are not the number one ODI side in the world for no reason, and we are going to have to play some exceptionally good cricket to keep beating them."