David Warner is Australia’s most important limited-overs player, as they are going to find out this afternoon when Manuka Oval hosts the third and final ODI against India.
While dead-rubber are synonymous with teams avoiding clean sweeps and the dominant force faltering, Australia may do so for a completely different reason in the nation’s capital.
And it could all be summed up by KL Rahul telling Australian media on Monday that while he wouldn’t wish it on any cricketer, Warner is one of the Aussies’ main batsmen and it’d “be good for India if he was injured for a long time”.
Warner, who picked up a groin injury during the second ODI which rules him out of at least this match and the T20 series to follow, as well as possibly the first Test, has been in fine form to start the summer.
Sure, he has been overshadowed by the unreal performances of Steve Smith, who has back-to-back centuries both on the all-time list of fastest by an Aussie, but Warner’s platform has allowed the likes of Smith and Glenn Maxwell, who has also been in sensational form, to go for broke during the closing stages of each innings.
It takes a complete team performance to rack up scores of 374 and 389, and Warner has played a huge role in both games.
Warner’s 69 off 76 balls in the first match, before being questionably given out on review, followed by an 83 off 77 only stopped by a run out in Sunday’s clash shows the sort of form with which he has hit the summer.
The strike rates of the two openers across the opening partnerships in the first two games can give us an insight, while the percentage of dot balls faced is also an important stat to look at. A mere eight per cent may not seem like a great deal, but for the flow and feel of the game, it makes all the difference.
You’ll also note the placement of Warner’s shots, with the man who debuted as a T20 specialist now able to place score a lot of twos just through timing and placement.
| Game 1 | Game 2 | Total | Percentage of balls faced | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring shot | Warner | Finch | Warner | Finch | Warner | Finch | Warner | Finch |
| 0 | 35 | 51 | 33 | 36 | 68 | 87 | 46.90 per cent | 54.04 per cent |
| 1 | 26 | 28 | 21 | 22 | 47 | 50 | 32.41 per cent | 31.06 per cent |
| 2 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 8.28 per cent | 5.59 per cent |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1.38 per cent | 0.62 per cent |
| 4 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 8.97 per cent | 6.83 per cent |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2.07 per cent | 1.86 per cent |
| Partnership contribution | 69 (76) | 73 (92) | 78 (69) | 60 (69) | 137 (145) | 133 (161) | ||
| Total partnership | 156 (168) | 142 (138) | 298 (296) | |||||
Warner is often trapped up the other end without any intent for a single from Finch but doesn’t lose momentum, and whichever of Matthew Wade, Alex Carey or D’Arcy Short replace him will need to have a similar plan.
What I also noticed going through these stats was the number of times Finch would have dots for multiple balls in a row, followed by a boundary. It breaks the momentum of his partner, and while Warner had more of that in Game 2, it’s not a consistent trait.
This isn’t designed to be a knock on Finch, who is an extremely talented batsman, but it contrasts the differences between the pair and highlights why they tend to work so well as an opening partnership.
Aaron Finch (R) and David Warner (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Pair Finch with anyone else and it probably isn’t going to be as successful, especially over the long-term period he has been at the top of the order with Warner.
The intensity of Warner running between wickets is something else. He is one of the fittest players in the team, and potentially in world cricket, while his ability to read the game is second to none.
It’s a shame he will never get a prolonged shot at captaining Australia due to past indiscretions, because he is one of the smartest cricketers on the scene tactically.
As for his replacement at the top of the order, it will most likely be Wade.
The former keeper has an unreal ability with the bat, as shown throughout previous BBLs, where he has been a driving force for the Hobart Hurricanes as they have ascended the ladder.
But like Finch, Wade enjoys finding the boundary – as do the potential other replacements – rather than finding singles and not chewing up dot balls.
It’s a special talent which Warner possesses and there are few players around the world who have his ability to not get bogged down.
Again, it may seem weird to put so much focus on the top of the order when Smith has stolen all the attention, Maxwell has driven Australia to mammoth totals, and the bowlers have (for the most part) done their job, but it’s where it all starts.
The 50-over game requires a platform. Without it, you might as well chuck the result in the bin at the end of the opening powerplay. India, as they have shown with the bat in Sydney, are far too good if you hand them a paltry total.
At Manuka Oval, which has often been a batsman’s paradise, another big total will be needed by the team batting first. If that’s Australia, can they do it without that same level of running, ability to make things happen and ability to not get bogged down at the top of the order?
In the seven ODIs played at the Canberra venue since 2013, all have been won by the team batting first and the average score for those teams is a ridiculous 348.
While that average is bloated slightly by some World Cup games, where the West Indies scored 372 and South Africa 411 against Ireland, it doesn’t change the fact that Manuka is a ground where batting first and getting a monster score is the way to win.
One of Australia’s key problems over the years has been going on with it after a platform has been built, often caused by the chewing up of dot balls following the departure of Warner. In whichever line-up they possess this afternoon, Australia must find a way to combat that if they want to start the summer with an ODI sweep.
The tourists will be out to avenge their losses and get their first victory, so certainly won’t go down without a fight.
But, as Rahul attested, the fight is that much easier without a certain left-handed opener.
HR
Roar Rookie
I think a lot of it is worked out beforehand (hence the controversy about England's communication with their off-field analysts during their recent series in South Africa), but there's probably a bit of instinct required on the part of the captain as well - which requires a pretty comprehensive knowledge of all the players involved. I don't know whether Warner is tactically accept or just good at remembering orders, but he must be the captain of Hyderabad for a reason.
Paul Saikia
Guest
so aren't Australia happy that Ro"hitman" Sharma is missing from India's ranks !!!
Bobbo7
Guest
Middle overs challenging? These batsman play on runways in Australia. Flat as a tack which goes some way to explaining the averages.
Bludger
Guest
I disagree with the title because everyone is replaceable. They even replaced Don Bradman and contrary to some persons in fairyland (NSW), Warner is nowhere near as good as the Don. Warner has a lousy record playing away from Australia and that's before you even talk about his character failings. I am afraid I sit on the negative side and am happy to let him go.
Pete McAloney
Roar Pro
I heard that on ABC Grandstand and was astonished! I obviously did not recall very well at all, haha. Hmm, in retrospect, it's still a shame they didn't give Wade a crack.
Paul
Roar Guru
Having never played T20, I'm happy to accept that on face value, but how much of that is done before the game actually starts though, HR? One of the big problems I think South Africa found was their planning. They were at least as good as any other country at pre-match planning and given their success across formats, they were pretty good at executing as well. The problem for them arose when their plans didn't work, because their skippers struggled to move to plan B or C. Given the success of Warner's IPL side, it's safe to say they've got their plans worked out, but is he the captain Scott makes out in this article, one of the most tactically smart players in the game or simply a bloke who has a team that can carry out plans devised by others?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I agree and think it's actually an opportunity to prepare for the future with a odi series already won and home soil advantage for t20s and Warner's questionable test form abroad and mediocre batting against a weakened nz team . Warner or course is excellent in odi matches and home ground tests but agree we have guys that can come in or carey can be reshuffled up the order and others can get their chance .
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Good to see everyone getting on board with carey his last world cup in England makes him a no brainer and now is his time and labuschagne has demonstrated he could open batting as well .
HR
Roar Rookie
I've seen the argument made, fairly convincingly, that T20 is the most difficult format in terms of tactics. The whole game is basically in fast-forward, and the captain has to match bowlers to batsmen, devise fields and plans to target weaknesses and inhibit strengths of the opposition, and they have to do it without the time to really discuss plans with other senior players.
Steele
Roar Rookie
Selectors made an error not selecting Wade to open. He’s a lefty and clearly in dynamic form with the bat. Easily the best like for like choice. Instead they select Green and Moises in the same team. In essence a batting all rounder came in for an opener.
Nick
Roar Guru
Yes, but most times they chuck him up the order he slows down and loses his fluency. I think they've got the balance right here.
U
Roar Rookie
He’d be an excellent opener. Wouldn’t be as slow as Finch that’s for sure
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Well after all that, it’s Marnus. Agree that Warner was unlucky to be given out in the first match. Terrible decision in fact - Snicko and hotspot both indicated that contact was made with the ground, not the ball, but Reiffel somehow convinced himself there was an edge.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Having played there several times back in the day I can assure you it’s a big field. Before big bats and boundaries ten metres in, a six was a big deal.
Paul
Roar Guru
They're still there to provide support and we're also talking about a domestic T20 comp where the guys play what, two games a week lasting 40 overs? I'm sure he's fine as a skipper in that sort of format, where tactical decisions are limited compared to other forms of the game, but is he really one of the smartest guys in the game tactically as Scott suggests?
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
IPL teams can only have four overseas players in the team per match, so they still have plenty of local Indian players. But if anything, I think your argument is the wrong way around. If you've got two players in your side who are both outstanding skippers of their national teams, and still select Warner as your captain, then that surely suggests he's held in pretty high esteem as a captain, otherwise surely they'd pick one of those guys who's a proven international captain to be the captain.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Spruce, I'm not saying he would do that, just extrapolating his strike rate in that innings out as part of the question people often have when someone bats really well at the end of an innings but runs out of balls. Was it a waste them going in so late? If they went in earlier could they have scored at that rate for longer and built an even bigger score? Mind you, the way things are going, I'm sure it will happen one day where someone who's smashed a super quick hundred will just keep going and going and get a double off under 100 balls. But I'm not actually saying that if Maxwell went in early enough to face 90 balls he'd have scored a double.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
if you're looking like for like he's the closest thing they've got who's a pure batsman. Carey is a good choice too. Not Wade
Marty
Roar Rookie
Some players are certainly better than others but that doesn’t make them irreplaceable. At the end of the day it’s about team performance and getting the result. In the ODI series before this one we defeated the reigning WC champs and number 1 ranked ODI team over there and Warner’s contributions were 6, 6 and 24. Irreplaceable? Hardly. The sign of a good team/squad is one where players can step up, play their role and get the job done, which is exactly what happened in the UK, despite the ‘irreplaceable one’ doing not much at all. That’s the point I’m making.
Paul
Roar Guru
Fair enough, but I find that whole IPL scenario somewhat artificial. He's playing in a team that's be been purchased with players who are top quality, so not a lot of man management issues to deal with. This year alone, he's had Kane Williamson and Jason Holder in the team. Both are outstanding skippers as well as terrific players. In that sort of environment, I'd have thought it relatively easy to be a good bloke, but whether that makes him a good skipper?