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This week marks one year since David Warner made his Test debut for Australia.
12-months ago the famous baggy green cap was placed upon his head and cricket lovers stopped and waited to see if the transition from Twenty20 star to Test cricketer was possible.
It was a rocky start. He made three and 12 not out against New Zealand in Brisbane, but things have been steady since that encounter at the Gabba.
The left hander, who many thought would never show the patience and skill required to become a Test cricketer, has managed to justify his place in the side.
It’s easy to forget this is just the fourth Test series of his career.
In that time the 26-year-old has played against New Zealand, India, West Indies and now South Africa.
In every series, except the tour of the Caribbean, he has managed to score a century.
His tally of 796 runs at an average of 44.22 is a solid start from a man playing in just his 12th Test match.
Yep, David Warner is good… but he could be great.
The New South Welshman has a solid technique when he chooses to use it.
Few in world cricket can punish a bad ball like Warner, but waiting for the bad ball to arrive isn’t the strongest part of his game at the moment.
Perfect timing, footwork and shot selection are chucked in a blender with a see-it-and-hit-it mentality and what spurts out can be anyone’s guess.
It was prevalent at the WACA yesterday as Dale Steyn gave him a look that said “I can’t believe you just tried to play that shot to that ball in this situation.”
“That shot” was a wild swing and “that ball” was one that most batsman judge to be too dangerous and opt to let whistle past the off-stump and the situation is early in an innings when most players are easing themselves in.
Steyn looked genuinely amused and the commentary teams on both television and radio were also questioning the theory behind starting a Test innings this way.
Warner isn’t a fish out of water, no longer fighting the tag of Twenty20 specialist or short form slogger. It’s some feat for a man who strides to the crease with the word “kaboom” on the back of his bat.
He can play shots all around the ground and most of them in a manner that Sir Donald Bradman would approve of.
Bradman, for all of his brilliance, had a simple remedy for not getting caught. Hit the ball along the ground. Warner can do just that and with devastating power.
It’s impossible to turn the opener into a docile plodder and nor would anyone want that transformation to take place, but the wild lash outside off, early in his innings, has to go.
The risk and the reward are way out of proportion.
Warner is too good at sending rubbish to the fence to force the issue with the extremely good balls.
He’ll walk back to the crease today in Perth on 29 with two whole days to bat.
Australia needs another 592 runs to pull off a heroic victory. It’s one that would elevate the hosts back to the top of the Test cricket rankings and seal the series.
The situation looks impossible when you look at the total required, but the pitch is a road after the first few hours and Warner is capable of demoralising tired and frustrated bowlers.
He’s an extremely good test batsman, but he could be great. It’s up to him.
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