'Highly Doubtful: David Warner Unsure Over Return For Third Test Against India
Updated - 02 Jan 2021, 11:13 AM
Australia could miss David Warner for the third Test of the ongoing series against India too after the star opener revealed it is “highly doubtful” he will be at 100 per cent even if he is fit enough to be selected for the upcoming game. The penultimate match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to be played from January 7 in Sydney.
David Warner has been on the sidelines ever since suffering a groin injury during the ODI against India on November 29. So far, he has missed the third ODI, the three-match T20I series as well as the first two Tests of the ongoing series. In his absence, Australia lost the T20Is and are struggling with the bat in the Tests too.
In his absence, Australia promoted Matthew Wade to open the innings alongside Joe Burns but the move did not pay the desired results. Barring the second innings of the first Test where Australia were chasing 90, both Burns and Wade failed to do well with the bat. The poor show with the bat also saw Burns getting dropped from the Test squad.
And amidst all the top-order worry for Australia, David Warner has revealed that he is yet to recover fully. The southpaw batted in the nets on Saturday but looked uncomfortable while stretching. With Burns dropped, David Warner is likely to be selected in the eleven for the SCG Test but his participation comes with a warning from the man himself.
“It’ll probably give me a better indication,” David Warner said in reference to where his fitness levels are ahead of the training sessions.
“Am I going to be 100 per cent? Highly doubtful. But I’ll be doing everything I can to let the selectors give me that green light,” he added.
Australia’s performance on the field has been poor too. During the MCG Test, they dropped more than half-a-dozen catches and eventually paid the price by losing the game. A half-fit Warner might be another reason to worry for the hosts. As far as Warner is concerned, he said it will be his ability to field which will determine his participation in the third Test, rather than his ability to run between the wickets.
“I know I can manage the running between the wickets, the shot making I have,” he said.
“Whether it’s standing in the slips cordon, taking catches to my right and left … I need to be agile enough to make sure I’m taking those chances. Not be a hindrance there,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ongoing four-match series is currently locked at 1-1 after India thrashed the hosts by eight wickets in the second Test at the MCG.
