‘In great touch’: Warner adamant he can defeat nemesis

July 18, 2023

Australian opener David Warner is adamant his Ashes nemesis Stuart Broad has not got inside his head as he prepares for a fourth round in Manchester having kept his place in the side, with selectors instead dropping spinner Todd Murphy.

After being backed by opening partner Usman Khawaja and skipper Pat Cummins, Warner was given another chance to fire an Ashes shot despite returning just one half-century in the opening three Tests, and two single-figure dismissals off the bowling of Broad at Headingley.

Those were the 16th and 17th times Warner was dismissed by Broad in Test matches, but the veteran said that record did not impact on hid mindset.

“I don‘t really think about the match-up,” Warner said on the Vaughny and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast.

“You think about the ball that’s coming at you, how you are going to score. He bowls in a great area all the time.

“I always love facing Broady. We have two left-handed opening batters and he is one of, if not the best bowler to left-handers in today‘s game. He is so good at it.”

Warner’s average for the series is just 23.5, but Cummins was adamant the numbers didn’t tell the full story

“I thought at Lord‘s, he was really impressive. Last week, like many of us, he probably didn’t contribute as much as he would have liked with the bat,” he said.

“He‘s been out there over the last couple of days putting in a lot of work, but I think this tour he has shown a lot of good signs and hasn’t quite kicked on to make that big score.

“Some of those innings he’s played under really tough circumstances has made it easy for (Steven) Smith to come in and score runs, or the like.”.

Warner made a pair of ducks in Manchester during a horror 2019 series but is confident of turning that around this time.

“I feel like I am in great touch,“ Warner said

“I have felt good in the nets, leading in I had good sessions against our quicks at Beckenham (before the series).

“Lord‘s was probably the best I’ve batted in the last two years. Just holding my line.

“We have batted in probably the toughest conditions so far. In Leeds I got two good balls.

“You can‘t do too much about that … You just have to take it on the chin, can’t do anything about it.”

Australian selectors not only retained Warner, but made the shock call to axe rookie-spinner Murphy for all-rounder Cameron Green while also retaining Headingley centurion Mitch Marsh.

Travis Head is set to fill the spin duties at Old Trafford.

Originally published as David Warner adamant he’s batting better than he has for two years

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