The one innings that should end Warner debate

1 year ago 88

David Warner's against-the-odds heroics successful past year's T20 World Cup are impervious the seasoned Australian opener has what it takes to look from his signifier rut successful Test cricket, according to Steve Smith.

Making a aureate duck and 3 successful the opening Test against South Africa successful Brisbane past week heaped much unit connected Warner, who's averaged lone 26 successful the longest signifier of the crippled since registering his astir caller period successful January 2020.

Smith made a constituent of Warner's magnificent T20 World Cup run connected the cusp of the Boxing Day Test, successful which the pugnacious left-hander volition go conscionable the 14th Australian to person played 100 Tests.

Five months aft being replaced by Kane Williamson arsenic Sunrisers Hyderabad captain and copping the axe from the Indian Premier League team, Warner churned retired 289 World Cup runs astatine the mean of 48.16 and strike-rate of 147 en way to being crowned subordinate of the tournament.

"He's astir apt the benignant of idiosyncratic that wouldn't (be brought undone by pressure)," Smith said connected Wednesday.

"I deliberation we've seen Davey erstwhile his back's up against the wall — he's done beauteous well.

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"You lone person to look back, I think, to the World Cup successful Dubai. A batch of radical were saying helium was done, and I deliberation successful that Sri Lanka crippled helium came retired and made 60 and conscionable kept going connected and ended up being subordinate of the tournament.

"So, helium does beauteous good erstwhile his back's up against the wall, doesn't he?"

As Smith defended Warner's rocky spot successful the longest signifier of the game, the erstwhile Test skipper brushed disconnected the information that his glut of runs successful the Middle East had travel successful 20-over cricket.

Warner caught for a aureate duck

"It doesn't substance which format of the crippled (he's playing); Davey ever plays a beauteous akin way, which I deliberation has been the quality of him successful Test cricket, arsenic well, to beryllium capable to instrumentality the crippled connected from shot one," Smith said.

"Sometimes it doesn't work.

"He hasn't had a large woody of luck lately, arsenic well, which you request sometimes, peculiarly erstwhile you're playing connected wickets similar the 1 past week (at the Gabba).

"He's batting good and fingers crossed helium tin person a large week."

Warner's lasting arsenic an Australian batting large is assured contempt his dire tally of precocious and careless of however the remainder of his vocation pans out.

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The New South Welshman has scored 7922 Test runs astatine the mean of 45.52, including 34 centuries.

He's sitting successful eighth connected the database of highest Test run-scorers by Australians and ninth connected the database of astir tons.

"He's had an unthinkable career, hasn't he?" Smith said.

"In each formats of the crippled ... the mode he's been capable to play astatine the apical of the order, instrumentality the crippled on, get america disconnected to truly bully starts ... (he's) benignant of breached the mould, I guess, of that traditional, old-school opener (who) takes the radiance disconnected the caller ball, disconnected the backmost of Michael Slater ... and Matthew Hayden."

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