Australian skipper Steven Smith is positive about David Warner being fit for the first Ashes Test, which will start on November 23. Warner suffered a neck injury yesterday (November 21) during fielding session of the team and left the field straight away.
A day ahead of the game as well, he did not practice much and doubts still linger over his over his participation in the first Test,
“He’ll (Warner) be okay. It’s part and parcel of playing cricket. Guys have injuries now and then. You have little niggles and he’s confident that he’ll be okay. He said he’ll even bat like Shivnarine Chanderpaul if he has to bat that way. So I think he’ll be all right. It’s improved a fair bit over the last 24 hours. Hopefully he can keep improving and he’ll be 100 per cent come 10 o’clock in the morning,” said Steven Smith.
Meanwhile, Australian selectors have called in Glenn Maxwell as cover for Warner on the eve of the game. His calling has somehow revealed that Warner is not yet confident of making it to playing XI and the team management isn’t keen to reveal the news to England.
The news might come out on the morning of the day during toss or the practice session ahead of the start of the contest.
If Warner is ruled out, it will leave a big hole in the Aussie batting line-up as apart from the experience of Warner, the team would also miss out on a regular opener. There is no experienced opener in the side, and Cameron Bancroft will also be making his debut, which leaves Australia in all sorts of trouble.
The selectors could have called a like to like a replacement for Warner in the form of Matt Renshaw instead of Glenn Maxwell, but this was not the case, and Australia would find it difficult if Warner does not take part in the Ashes opener.
Shaun Marsh, who opened the innings in the Perth Test against South Africa last year, might be asked to open the innings once again. He is making his comeback to the side after yet another good show in domestic cricket. This is probably the last comeback of Marsh in the Aussie team as he has been given many call-ups earlier as well but he has wasted them.
In his comeback game, Marsh might be asked to do a tough job of opening for Australia, and he has to succeed in it to keep the hopes of Australia alive.
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