David Warner has an insatiable appetite for scoring runs. His stellar 2014 has shown how run-hungry – or ‘rungry’, if you will – this diminutive batsman has become.
He crashed into our consciousness in 2009; that 89 in a T20 International against South Africa heralded a new type of Aussie batsman, yet many were sceptical.
Playing for Australia without having even played a first-class match was bizarre to most, and heresy to others. He was immediately labelled a tonker, and dismissed by many Test devotees.
>>FOLLOW THE LIVE SCORES OF THE AUSTRALIA VS INDIA TEST MATCH
I remember the first shot I saw him play when I realised he would be a great Test player. It was in the 2009 Champions League (yes, a T20 match) for NSW. It was a six, one of the many he scored that tournament, but this one was played with a beautifully straight bat, down the ground, and within ‘the v’.
To me, it proved that he was more than a ‘crash and bash’ T20 player. Yes, he could play an aggressive and thumping form of cricket, but it was underpinned by solid technique. In the early part of his career he did find it difficult to play along the ground, but now seems to have adjusted his technique, giving fewer chances away at the beginning of his innings.
Fast forward to the current Test against the Indians. He has now notched up his tenth career ton, and moved to an average just south of 50. It seems his runger knows no bounds.
He’s made himself at home at the top of the order for Australia in Tests, and recently returned to the ODI side to cement his slot ahead of the upcoming World Cup. He is one of the few players who plays all three forms of cricket for Australia on a constant basis, and if you look internationally, only AB de Villias plays as consistently across all formats.
This year he has notched up nearly 1000 Test runs, averaging 73 and going into three figures five times. They’re great stats, but even more impressive is the fact he’s scored those runs at a strike rate of 85. He chews those runs faster than John Goodman at a buffet at closing time!
Some people would argue that the strike rate means nil when it comes to Test cricket. However, the impact of an opener scoring so freely has a dramatic effect on the bowling side. Think of how Adam Gilchrist could turn a match when coming in down the order – Warner can do that from ball one.
If you compare him to other international batting talents, he seems to have entered his own. Darren Bravo, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root haven’t found the constancy in five-day cricket that David Warner has managed over the last 12 months.
There are a few concerns over his lack of a big double-century, but give it time. The formula he has is working, and his belligerent attitude towards bowlers and opposition captains, will eventually lead to those lofty targets. No need for him change his game.
To cap it all off, he made his latest ton in some of the most mentally trying times, harnessing sorrow, and showing a level of mental application and stoicism beyond his age.
David Warner, we salute you, and your rungry nature.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
Some of you may have watched the recent Fox Sports Series 'A Brief History of Australian Cricket: the Eighties'. If not, I’d definitely recommend…
Nathan Lyon's spell with English county Lancashire has been halved as Cricket Australia looks to protect the fitness of the star spinner. The Australian,…
Cricket Australia insists Optus Stadium can replace the Gabba as the men's Test team's new fortress after handing Perth the first match against India.…
It's no longer about how many runs score individually - it is about the team's ability to win Test in pressure moments.
