David Warner

[GIMH]

Talking to a geezer in work today who was banging on about Warner being consistently crap in the first innings.

It was certainly the case in the Ashes but he still managed to be one of the top scorers (in fact was he the top scorer)

So he's pretty much perfect for Australia at the minute with the way Johnson is bowling because they are always getting hefty first innings leads which gives him licence to tee off in the second where he is absolutely lethal

Does it matter that he doesn't seem to do it first up? Is this a coincidence? Or will he be found wanting when Australia face a side who stack a big score against them?

As destructive as he is, not sure I'd want him opening for us at the moment, given the situations we are in most games. But realistically we could under no stretch of the imagination decline a player who can take a bowling attack apart like that. Well actually that's bull**** as we've just got rid of one such player, but...

Right place, right time? Annoying internet fan looking for a criticism that isn't there? Legitimate criticism?

Not suggesting I'm stating anything groundbreaking. Could have been discussed in the tour thread for all I know...

 

[hendrix]

I'm pretty certain he'll sort out the first innings thing. And he doesn't only score runs when Australia are on top - that's just what's happened recently. Classic example of his rearguard effort being the Hobart century.

 

[Cabinet96]

Didn't seem to be a problem last year. I'd be happy if he could open the batting for our lot.

 

[Red]

Found it interesting that he doesn't like to face the first ball and asks Rogers to always face the first ball. Rogers said he'd prefer to take turns but always takes it because Warner wants him to.

 

[Adders]

Didn't seem to be a problem last year. I'd be happy if he could open the batting for our lot.

We're trying to clear out the ****wits not take more in.

 

[dermo]

Didn't seem to be a problem last year. I'd be happy if he could open the batting for our lot.

actually its only been a problem the last year, he hasn't scored a 1st innings ton since the last home series against south africa

 

[dermo]

imo his biggest asset to the team is they way he's been scoring these second innings tons, he does it so quickly we're never in danger of running out of time to bowl the opposition out

 

[Spark]

I don't think it's exactly coincidental that his recent scores have all come when the bowlers are a bit demoralised and haven't gotten a good rest, as he's pretty much the perfect player to take advantage of that. But he should be able to do it in the first dig every now and then as well.

 

[wiff]

My grandpoppy used to say it's a game of two halves. He was talking about football but who cares.

 

[TNT]

In his short career he has scored more runs in the first innings at a faster rate than the second innings.

2 hundreds and 7 fifties in the first innings and 4 hundreds and 3 fifties in the second innings.

He has played 28 first innings and 24 second innings.

 

[Tangles]

Found it interesting that he doesn't like to face the first ball and asks Rogers to always face the first ball. Rogers said he'd prefer to take turns but always takes it because Warner wants him to.

Bit of a cop out that. Unless the other guy always wants first ball which happens occasionally.

 

[Furball]

He's definitely been a bit of a downhill skier recently. But when your bowling attack is blasting the opposition out for **** all, you want someone to rub the opposition's noses in the dirt when they're lying flat on their face.

Have no doubt that he'll sort it out and it's just a coincidence that all his tons are coming in the 2nd innings.

 

[Jassy]

His last century was very important I thought. We could have done with a downhill skier like that in the 47 a.o game! In general first innings are probably more important though so yeah if this becomes a pattern then maybe it deserves a debate. As of now he's pretty good in both innings though so that's fine. On a related note, it's funny that Sehwag used to get slated by all and sundry for the exact opposite reason.

 

[brockley]

A 4th Seamer?

 

[quincywagstaff]

It's interesting looking at David Warner's Test career (which probably still has a couple of years to go) from an overall perspective.

While it's obviously an impressive one, I reckon from where he was in the 2014-15 period it's been somewhat underachieving and disappointing.

He's generally always delivered in Australia; he's ranged from solid to outsanding and never had a particularly poor patch of form as his 59 average attests. But around 2014 when he scored a bunch of runs in South Africa and the UAE it looked as if he was going to replicate that form overseas and become one of Australia's great batsmen.

But since 2015, his overseas Test performances have largely been a massive disappointment. Apart from the Bangladesh Test series, hasn't scored a Test century outside Australia and on tours to Sri Lanka and India, as a senior player he's been as much to blame as anyone for Australia losing those series.

And this current England tour is a good example of how frustrating he's been in overseas Tests. His half-century in difficult conditions at Headingley was massively significant in changing momentum and should've been pivotal to helping Australia win the game (plus his catching). But otherwise he's done nothing.

I could see him being successful in Australian conditions for several years but perhaps they might have to think about being more selective in what overseas conditions he's worth persisting with in future.

 

[Burner]

Yeah, these past few years have not been good to him. A few years ago he looked like he'd blow Hayden's record out of the water.

 

[vcs]

Given the paucity of quality openers in world cricket right now, he'd still make a World Test XI comfortably IMO. Him and Karunaratne is probably what I'd go with.

 

[Daemon]

Given the paucity of quality openers in world cricket right now, he'd still make a World Test XI comfortably IMO. Him and Karunaratne is probably what I'd go with.

Quality trolling of NZ posters by vcs here

 

[vcs]

OK, Latham gets in above him in the SC and against Sri Lanka/Bangladesh

 

[Flem274*]

Quality trolling of NZ posters by vcs here

any kiwi who seriously puts tom minnow basher latham forward for the world team needs their head examined.

isn't even the best opener against quality fast bowling in his own side.