The biggest question for Australia heading into the third test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground remains the availability of David Warner. The dynamic left-handed starter injured his hamstring during his limited leg last month and missed the first two rounds of the series for Australia. With the series leveled at 1-1 and Australia’s batting looking fragile, the team needs Warner now more than ever.
However, the update provided by Warner does not bode well for Australia. Warner reported that he hasn’t raced in the last few days, but with the SCG Test five days away, his motive will be to fit the scheme of things, even if he’s not 100 percent.
“I haven’t raced in the last few days,” Warner told reporters Saturday morning. “Today and tomorrow will give me a better indication of where I am. Will I be 100 percent? Very doubtful. But I’m doing everything I can to get into that park and play, even if it means I’m not 100 percent. “
Team management must take great care in handling Warner. Giving him a game while not fully fit may seem like a bold move, but it has its fair share of repercussion. Even if Warner is to survive the Sydney test, what are the odds that he won’t jeopardize his chances for the final game in Brisbane?
“At the moment, there are some shots (which are restricted) that you go for, but for me it’s all about speed between fields, it doesn’t matter what shots I can and can’t play,” he said. “It’s about dropping and running, helping the guy on the other side come off the strike, it’s the things I work on and it’s the things I like to be 100% fit for. In this case, it most likely is not, but I will have to find out in advance how I am going to handle that. “
Over time, it can come down to how Warner is performing on slips, which determined whether the 34-year-old can withstand the rigors of a test match. “It’s about being smart this time,” he said. I know I can handle the race between the wickets, the shot I have. If I feel like I can fulfill my duties, whether it’s standing on the slide, taking catches to my right and left and not being an obstacle there, that’s where it’s going to determine whether or not I play, “he said.
Travis Head has been omitted from the Australian team for the last two tests, and has been added to Will Pucovski, who had suffered a concussion last month. In such a scenario, what happens to the starting combination depending on Warner’s situation becomes crucial, but the batter feels it is not his place to comment on the structure of the team.
“It’s not my question to answer in that sense of who I want, at the end of the day it’s who the selectors are comfortable with, if they want two changes, one change, I’m not really sure,” Warner said.
“The way that Wadey applied his pressure the other day was great, he raised his hand to hit at the top of the order, which was also a brave move because he hadn’t done it before. Whether or not Will is Wadey, I know whoever is on the other end, we know each other’s game well enough to put pressure (on Indian bowlers). “
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