Australia vs India: 'Devastated' David Warner Working Hard To Regain Full Fitness Ahead Of Boxing Day Test
Updated - 17 Dec 2020, 12:05 PM
Australia opener David Warner has said he was aiming to play the Boxing Day Test against India in Melbourne. The star batsman is currently sidelined with a strained abductor muscle and is not playing the ongoing first Test at the Adelaide Oval which got underway on Thursday.
David Warner had sustained the injury during the second ODI against India last month. The left-handed batsman has called his injury-enforced absence from the opening clash in Adelaide “devastating” as he tries to get fit in time for the second game of the four-match series.
“I am (hopeful), that’s one that I never want to miss out on,” David Warner told Australian sports radio network SEN about the Melbourne Test.
“(Adelaide’s) my first missed Test through injury so I’m obviously very disappointed with that. With the big series that it is, it’s devastating to miss a Test but I know that the guys who are walking out there are going to put their best foot forward,” he added.
David Warner is in a race against time to be fit for the Boxing Day Test and the opener is working hard for the same. With only nine days until the Melbourne Test, he said that he planned to increase the intensity of his rehab work.
“Hopefully I can get up and about and start running at a higher tempo. I managed to get up to 14 kilometres an hour (8.7mph) so I’ve got to work towards a max of 26 to 30 kilometres an hour by next week,” he said.
“If I can run between wickets and move laterally and do some ground fielding by the end of next week, I should be ready to go. Fingers are crossed,” he added.
Meanwhile, Australia have promoted Matthew Wade as their opener in the absence of David Warner. Joe Burns is the other opener. In Warner’s absence, Will Pucovski was being widely backed to open but the youngster was later sidelined after suffering a blow on his head during the first tour game against India.
