Australian batting spearhead Steve Smith is going through a rare lean-patch in the ongoing Test series against India. But his teammate and swashbuckling opener David Warner feels that everyone is allowed to have a bit of lack of form while alluding to the struggles he encountered during the 2019 Ashes in England.
Smith has managed scores of 1,1*,0, and 8 in his last four innings but Warner feels that rather than focussing on the former No.1 ranked Test batsman’s struggles, one must give credit to the Indian bowlers, who have plotted and executed his demise with disdain thus far in the series.
While Ravichandran Ashwin has dismissed him twice in the first innings of the opening two matches, it was Jasprit Bumrah who bowled him behind his legs in the second innings in Melbourne.
“Steve Smith has been recently knocked off by Kane Williamson as best batter in the world (ICC ranking) but if you look at his numbers, he still averages over 60. Everyone is allowed to have a bit of lack of form and I saw that myself when I was in England (Ashes 2019),” David Warner said in the virtual press-conference.
“On a day, if you have your name on that delivery, it is what it is and you can’t do anything about it. As you can see that it’s not due to lack of preparation as the guy (Smith) doesn’t get out of nets. He works off his backside all the time.” he added.
”Both teams have lacked a bit of fluency at the top in two Tests,”- David Warner
David Warner is all set to return to the Australian side after having missed most of the summer due to an adductor injury.
The presence of Warner will surely bolster the struggling Aussie batting-unit, which has struggled to bat with any sort of intent in the series thus far.
For Warner, an 84 Test veteran, his game has always been about pre-meditated attacks and putting pressure on the opposition bowlers, something Australia hasn’t done enough in the series.
“My 84 Test matches have always been about pre-meditated attacks and it doesn’t change for me but it’s about how the team looks at it. When I talk about intent, I mean by putting pressure back on the bowlers not just by swinging the bat,” David Warner said.
“There are other ways of showing intent which could lead them into bowling those odd full-pitched balls and short of length balls which you can pull or cut. That’s what I talk about when I talk about putting pressure on bowlers,” he added. It’s about going out there and playing your shots,” said Warner.
Both sides batting-unit have struggled in the series thus far. And, according to David Warner, one thing that batsmen from both sides haven’t done enough is ‘tap and run’ to offset the lengths and rhythm of the fast bowlers.
“If you allow very good attacks, which both these teams have, to dictate their terms, without applying pressure, then it becomes difficult to score. Both teams have lacked a bit of fluency at the top in two Tests,” he said.
“You need to show that intent in loud calling, shoulders are back, you are in the bowlers’ face, unsettle their line and length and I am speaking from experience.” Warner claimed.