David Warner’s supposed ‘golden run’ in 2016 appears to be over, with the fiery left hander showing that big matches aren’t his forte.
Warner’s lack of runs in crucial matches is a worrying sign for a young Australian team on the rise.
Following Australia’s series loss to South Africa, Australia captain Steve Smith called upon his teammates to show more fight and resilience. Smith described the embarrassing innings defeat in the second Test match as a ‘low point’ in Australian cricket, and directed a strong warning to his current teammates at the time, and those waiting for their chance to shine.
Following an inconsistent series, Warner could not have been under any impression that his performances were satisfactory enough to fly under the radar. A vintage innings from the Aussie vice-captain saw him make an important 97 in the first innings of the first Test, therefore showing his worth at the top of the order – but what followed was far from impressive.
With scores of only 35, 1 and 45 for the rest of the series, Warner’s ability to fight for his wicket was being questioned by both the Australian public and the South African fast bowlers.
Is the fiery left-hander still capable of performing in high-pressure situations? Statistics would disagree.
Australia welcomed Pakistan to their shores, hoping to begin this Test series better than their last. With a first Test win as crucial as ever, Australia’s new look youngsters fired in the high pressure first Test, yet Warner was nowhere to be seen.
The 30-year-old couldn’t deliver, with scores of 32 and 12. Australia won the first Test match by 39 runs in what almost resulted in an upset. However, Australia were carrying a 1-0 lead into the Boxing day Test, and immediately the pressure fell off Warner’s shoulders.
Warner managed two blistering centuries in the final two matches of the series, but was there really any reason to celebrate if the opener can’t perform in the most crucial of matches?
Following the 3-0 Test series whitewash, Australia looked to continue their winning ways against Pakistan in a five match, one day series. The Aussies comfortably raced to another 3-0 series lead with two games still to play. However, they again did so without any healthy contribution from Warner in the first three crucial matches, only managing scores of 7, 16 and 35. But seeing as the series was all but decided, all pressure was off.
During the final two ‘dead rubber’ matches, Warner excited the crowd with two blistering centuries. But again, was there really any reason to celebrate when the opener could not put runs on the board when they were most needed?
Australia travelled to India to play in one of the most highly anticipated Test series in recent cricketing history. And against all odds, the men from down under came out on top in the first match, winning by 333 runs. However, they did so again without a vice- captain leading from the front. Warner could only make scores of 38 and 10.
Test match two, with the series on the line, Australia lost by a heartbreaking 75 runs. Chasing a low total for victory in the second innings, Warner failed again at the top of the order with only 17 runs to his name in the final innings collapse.
Test match three resulted in a gritty, hard-fought draw for the Australians when it looked like India had all but snatched victory, as well as the series. Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh provided the fight Steve Smith had been looking for, with a match-saving stand on the final day.
The captain himself played his part with an outstanding 170 over the first two days of the match. However, once again David Warner failed to perform during another high-pressure contest for his country. Low scores of 19 and 14 have all but summed up his disappointing tour of India.
With one more Test match two play, and the Border-Gavaskar trophy on the line, we can only hope that David Warner can return to the player that Australian’s know him best as. But because of his poor performances in the most important matches, we won’t be holding our breath.
A deciding Test match for victory in India is as important as it gets for a touring Australian side, but that begs the question as to whether the struggling Warner can deal with the occasion. And with the Champions Trophy only a few months away, a competition where every single match counts, Australians can’t help but worry for Warner, who just can’t manage to control the pressure of international cricket.
Arcane
Guest
He's from NSW so his place in the team is guaranteed, that's for sure. Personally I believe he is a dud.
Horrie
Guest
Classic Flat Track Bully.
Baz
Guest
at 1-0 in a three test series and the series is not won yet so to say his ton at the mcg which alomg with strac helped give enough time for the win was darm good.
Kane
Guest
I've been saying this for years, 95% of his big scores have come when we've batted first or when there's not much pressure on.
DLKN
Guest
If you "want David Warner to be David Warner", then you'll get exactly what you're getting now. Failure to perform in India. After all, when it comes to tests in that country, this is not his first rodeo. And he averages what? Low-to-mid twenties, isn't it?
James Stephens
Roar Rookie
That's my point, if Warner performs in this game, I look like an idiot but i'll be happy about it because Warner will have performed at a time where Australia really 100% needed their vice captain to stand up. Not in the 4th game of a one day series against Pakistan when we've already taken the series..
James Stephens
Roar Rookie
I never mentioned Hayden though, I just want David Warner to be David Warner. If you take the Indian Tour completely out of the picture what do we have? We have two test centuries against a Pakistani side when Australia had already won. We have two ODI centuries in the final two games when Australia had already claimed a 3-0 victory. I'm sure if I went further back into 2016 I could find more evidence because i've seen the trend for a while but apart from those runs in dead rubber games we don't have any big scores at all.
James Stephens
Roar Rookie
When I say 'golden run', i'm actually referring to a bunch of articles from the Australian summer where after back to back hundreds people would refer his form to a 'golden summer' or other things. But i'm agreeing with you when I say that Warner really hasn't performed the way everyone is reacting, and that's what i'm trying to open people up to. When Warner scores big all pressure falls off his shoulders and I know you want a player in your team who can single handedly win a contest, but when the game is a dead rubber? I'm a big fan of David Warner's, I just want to see him score big and play hard when it matters the most. Of course Australia want to win every match they play in, but is it absolutely necessary? no. In a 5 match series (no matter what form it is) is it absolutely necessary to win the first 3 matches or be the first to win 3? Yes. And that's when i'd like to see David Warner stand up. Thanks for your feedback! :)
James Stephens
Roar Rookie
Warner seems to have a huge hold on the Australian public when he scores big, even more so than Steven Smith. This is because of the excitement factor and when smith is scoring hundreds of 150 balls, Warner is doing it in 80. But yes, when he has scored his runs recently it has been when the pressure off and that's the worry. In a pool group in the champions trophy where we are grouped with NZ and England I believe, he has to be performing from the first ball.
James Stephens
Roar Rookie
Warner has proved himself at the highest level which is why he remains a constant, my point being that if he continues to underperform in the big games, eventually the whole of Australia will pick up on it and it won't just be us. I think he'd agree that he doesn't deserve excuses, it's test cricket and he needs to perform.
James Stephens
Roar Rookie
Thanks for your response Chris Love. My issue being that for a man of his calibre and a man who has been in the test arena for a long time now, you can't give him the excuse that he takes time to adapt to bowlers. This is international cricket. I just can't help but feel that when he made those centuries during the Australian summer, everyone let the pressure off him without realising that the matches he performed in were dead rubbers. I am a huge fan of Warner's, but i'm aware of the fact that he isn't performing when it is absolutely necessary.
The Bush
Roar Guru
He was previously a very average ODI opener and I never understood why he was such a lock for the side. Yet come 2016 and he was able to turn that around. I had hoped he'd do the same here in India. While he's certainly been a failure this series so far, with all the other top six (not M Marsh obviously) scoring at least one fifty/hundred at a key time, if he were to score a century this test and we win it (and thus the series), all will be quickly forgiven and forgotten.
DLKN
Guest
I think it's a bit harsh to hold Warner to the standards set by Hayden, especially away from home, and more especially in India. In those cases, Warner has always been more of a "Haydos-Lite". When the ball spins / swings / seams, Warner has always looked clueless and at sea, like most flat-track bullies tend to. To misquote Geoff Boycott, my mum could score runs with a stick of rhubarb on some of the roads Warner (and others) gets in Australia to inflate his average.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I'm not sure it's a pressure thing, and I'm not sure where you get the "golden run" in 2016 from. He actually had a poor 2016 in test cricket. His 2016 was a golden year in ODI's, where he was just phenomenal, but he had a real struggle in test cricket that year, bookending the year with hundreds in the first and last tests of the year, but struggling in between. He's been having a lean trot through that period but managed to punctuate it with a few good scores here and there. But when your overall record is very good and has been for a number of years, and you are one of the senior players in the side, that tends to earn a bit more grace than someone who hasn't been established in the side so long. Plus, when you are the sort of player who when on song can single-handedly turn a match, the selectors will often put up with more poor performances knowing that the next match could be the one where you dominate and put in a performance that goes a long way to winning the match for the team. It's one of the reasons why Mitch Johnson was continually kept in the team despite playing like rubbish for long periods. We all knew how good he could be when he got it right, he was a destructive player that could almost single-handedly win you a test match, and through all his poor matches, the selectors were waiting for that to come out. To some extent Warner is in a similar boat. His ability to turn a match on it's head in a couple of sessions make him someone the selectors are loathe to drop.
spruce moose
Guest
Bingo.
Andrew Young
Roar Guru
It is an interesting point raised; evidently he is struggling at the moment, and as you point out, he has been struggling until the pressure is seemingly off. I had never considered it in such a way, not least because he always seems to be the fulcrum of fight, passion and intensity in the Australian line up, and I suppose I have taken that hand in hand with being a high pressure player. Interesting to see what happens from here...
qwetzen
Guest
Chris Love said: " more that he takes a little bit to adapt to bowlers as series begin." Really. Some of the excuses that are being given to justify Warner are just ridiculous. So he's the only player that has this problem is he? Of course not. The difference between Warner and a lot of others is that he gets that "little bit to adapt". Others just get dropped.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
I am not sure sure that the "pressure" in deciding matches is the issue with Warner, more that he takes a little bit to adapt to bowlers as series begin. Away from home though his record is no where near where it should be for a man of his ability. I was one that thought Warner would chalk past failures away from home up to experience and emerge as a truly great batsman this series. I am happy to say I was wrong and concede to those that labeled him a flat track bully. Now, not even in this last test would a ton save that reputation if the seemers pitch turn out to be true. I'm not unhappy with Warner, no one expects everyone we select to be the next Hayden, and sure questions over the next sub-continent tour will rightfully be raised. The spotlight is shining brighter than usual on Warner because of the dismal treatment of Usman Khawaja in this series, when it must be said has done no worse than Warner in previous sub continent conditions and has had a stellar 18 months outside of that also.