After Australia’s loss in Sri Lanka in the second Test, David Warner’s place in the red-ball side is beginning to be questioned.
People can become too obsessed with how long it has been since someone scored a century. Warner’s last Test century was against New Zealand in January 2020 and some have used that as a reason for him to be moved on.
But he scored two 90s against England last summer in Australia. For the sake of ten runs he could have had two centuries last summer, and if that had occurred, would anyone even be talking about his form now?
The other thing to consider is that before the days of openers coming out and smashing the bowling to all corners from the first ball, an opener’s job was to see off the new ball. Opening partnerships were an important achievement to get the team off to the best start.
In general, any team would like to see their team reach 50 with no wickets down, and think the openers had done a good job.
In Sri Lanka, Australia’s opening partnerships were 47 and 10 undefeated, and 15 and 49.
So again, for the sake of a few runs, in two of the three completed innings, the opening partnership had theoretically done the job the team required.
There are two more important issues to be considered in regards to Warner’s future.
Firstly, his technique has been under the microscope since 2019. Before Newlands in 2018 and his subsequent year off, his footwork and hand movements were fast, positive and commanding. He controlled the game, not the opposite.
Since then, and especially the past 18 months, that isn’t there.
His shots are not positive. He doesn’t get right forward or back like he used to, he is in a shuffle. He appears to not be seeing the ball as well as he used to. And since bowlers started to concentrate solely around the wicket to him, he doesn’t seem to be able to fathom the line or length of the delivery.
When he bats, he looks uncomfortable. He looks like it is just a matter of time until he gets out. The way he has been out bowled and LBW recently looks like a player searching for the ball. And at his age, that’s a hard thing to rediscover.
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David Warner of Australia is bowled by Ben Stokes (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Secondly, this is further evidence of a shallowing of Warner’s abilities.
In 56 Test innings between the end of the 2015 Ashes series and Newlands in 2018, Warner made only seven single-figure scores, or one in every eight innings.
Since his return at the start of the 2019 Ashes to this week, he has played 39 innings and been dismissed in single figures in 17 of them. That figure is near enough to once in every two innings.
Is Warner’s spot really in peril? In the interim it appears unlikely. He averages a touch over 60 in Australia and with series against West Indies and South Africa coming up on hard, fast and true pitches, he will be in the best elements he can face.
Beyond that, with away series against India and England to come in 2023, his position will be dependent on his form leading in, and that of any possible contenders for his spot, and whether the selection panel would risk leaving him out for any potential replacement.
But neither Warner not his opening partner, Usman Khawaja, have time on their side, and thus neither does Australia when it comes to finding their long-term replacements.
As much as Australia would like Warner to find his mojo, perhaps what it wants more is for the next contenders to rise up and seize an opportunity.
Mr Swan
Guest
With a weak test opposition like windies (noting we just got flogged by the sri lankans) they should be dropping Warner (done nothing of note for years) and bringing in a youngster to cut his teeth on aussie soil. Selectors will hang on to warner and ussie too long and we will be left with 2 green openers. Travis Head is not test ilk either. He is a great one day player but not a test guy. Gregory Swanford
Clear as mud
Guest
I don’t disagree generally but Smith hot 4 shield tons the year he was picked Everyone in Sydney knew how good his batting was, the one handed ton in grade saw to that
Sedz
Guest
Warner's average vs India is the worst among all other nations he played (33.76) followed by SL, WI and England. Similarly his average in India is worst followed by SL, England and WI. I think he just likes Aus/SA conditions and Pakistan/Bangladesh pitches. His average against them seems to be impressive really.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I’m wondering if Pierson and phillppe are actually batting options after their efforts in Sri Lanka for aus A were better than non keeping batsmen. I’m not afraid to let one play as batsmen and keep Carey on his toes when they have just proven they can make more runs than the first team in a foreign pitch. There’s a small pool of four players as replacement openers (hunt , whiteman , pucovski and less so street . they should all play Aus A and shield asap to assess but hunt seems to be leading them for now )
Pierro
Roar Rookie
It's all on ice now and the windies will allow warner and head to draw attention away from their infficiencies and failures abroad . head can make big runs on an Aussie pitch no doubt about that and warner was much the same until more recently but could get a bigger score or two this summer. we will be back to square one come February in india
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Performed well on debut last summer. Probably outbatted better credentialed teammates such as Burns, Street & Renshaw. With Marnus & Uzzy likely to miss Shield games due to Australian commitments, Clayton has the opportunity to show his wares with a full shield season.
Rellum
Roar Guru
The one talent I would suggest has a shot but no one here will really talk about is Jack Clayton.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Please list this vast list of talents coming through. Hunt, Street, Sanga are not Test talents. They are decent FC players so far and Sanga has shown little at that. It is not nonsense to want players averaging 45, calling that nonsenses just shows a lack of understanding. Actual talents would be averaging over 50 like the last two in Will and Green
Nick
Roar Guru
You should point out all those other players selected in the same way with successful Test careers since. Rubbish. You're just making excuses for Warner. You are saying it was ok to pick him early and now keep him with that mediocre record, but not ok for someone else. Enabling stuff, tbh
Rellum
Roar Guru
You should point out all those other players selected in the same way with successful Test careers since. Warner also came through a setup that to me has set back cricket here for a very long time. We should not be continuing that line of thinking just because it worked once 10 years ago
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure you're right. And on the same note it will be interesting to see how Usman performs against Rabada - the Usman of 2019 Ashes couldn't help chasing the outswinger. Has Usman 3.0 rectified that tendency?
Rellum
Roar Guru
There is a very good chance Rabada destroys Warner with his swing.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
For clarification, the 3 decent scores I said Warner would make was in reference to the SAF series, which would then see him go to India. Then IF he made several good scores in India they may well pick him for England.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Probably about the same, a couple of 50s.
Nick
Roar Guru
Yes there are...if we use the same metrics that many selections, including Warner himself, were picked on. Clarke was selected off a handful of FC games with an average in the 30's. Warner was selected mainly off the back of NSW 2ndXI form. Steve Smith was selected as a bowler off the back of nothing. Langer didn't exactly light up the shield when he was picked. Nor Martyn. There are plenty who are in the system who can be given a chance...the same chance Warner got. This idea that we need someone average 45 in the shield is just nonsense. How many times do we have to convince ourselves that Warner - 2022 average of 30 - can be outperformed by someone else?
Rellum
Roar Guru
There are not plenty coming through
Ace
Roar Rookie
Mark, you are overlooking some bright prospects out there like Sangha from NSW and WA's young openers. And Hardie their all rounder. Not that these blokes will get a look in for some time due to cricket's weird ' it's harder to get dropped than picked'
Ace
Roar Rookie
Couldn't be more on the money re Warner. Home track specialist regardless of what "it's footy season again" says
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Jeff what do you think Warner will do in India . I noticed on a bbl article on him being restored to captaining in June I noted I expected him to do poorly In Sri Lanka. I’m more than certain he would play poorly In uk again with their pitches and his technique exposing him in 2019. In Australia he will always make some runs especially against poor opposition. I’d say he will be mediocre in India maybe two half centuries at best and several fails . what do you predict ?.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Jeff agree with pretty much all of that . war warner will virtually have to retire but good luck getting him to do that until he just fails so many times . No matter what he does in aus or India how they could pick him for england would defy logic seeing he created the lowest opening test series average of all time in 2019 there . The selectors would have to be bona fide morons to select him there