David Warner has been greatly missed with Australia’s makeshift opening partnership unable to meet expectations to the extent that his former partner Joe Burns has been dropped from 18 member squad for the third Test.
Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is confident that opener David Warner will be back in the playing XI for the remaining two Tests against India in Sydney and Brisbane, respectively.
David Warner Is An X-Factor Who Is A World Class Batsman: Nathan Lyon Expects Him To Feature In Next 2 Tests
David Warner, who missed the first 2 Tests, has been out of action since 2nd ODI against India in which he limped off the field sustaining a groin injury. The left-handed batsman resumed training in Melbourne in December during the Boxing Day Test which Australia lost by 8 wickets to squander their 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
In David Warner’s absence, Matthew Wade has promoted up the order and opened along with Joe Burns but Australia couldn’t manage to score beyond 200 in 3 completed innings in 2 Tests with likes of Steve Smith failing miserably with the bat.
Notably, the Australian camp has hinted that David Warner will play the next match at the Sydney Cricket Ground even if he is 90-95 per cent fit.
“David is a x-factor. He is a world-class batter. I am 100 per cent expecting David to go out there in the next couple of Tests and do well,” Lyon told reporters on Monday.
Australia won the day-night series opener in Adelaide after the visitors registered lowest ever Test score of 36 but the tourists rebounded with a victory in Melbourne earlier this week to level series 1-1.
Nathan Lyon has picked 4 wickets in 2 Tests, while Steve Smith has scored only 10 runs in 2 Tests averaging a pathetic 3.33. David Warner had scored a career-best 335 in November 2019 against Pakistan at Adelaide after scoring a ton at Brisbane too. He had scored a ton in January 2020 at Sydney in New Zealand which was his last Test and only one in 2020.
Nathan Lyon: India Australia Series Is Next To Ashes
With their backs against the wall and momentum-shifting in India’s favour, Nathan Lyon said they will look to draw inspiration from their 2019 Ashes campaign in England and the way they fought back in that series after the heartbreaking Headingley Test defeat.
“You can always draw from all different experiences. It doesn’t have to be in England, it can be in South Africa or wherever,” Lyon told reporters.
“You’re always learning. We’ll have a meeting just before the game and reflect … we have to make sure we keep our feet on the ground, stay in the contest. The India-Australia series is getting up there alongside the Ashes, as a pinnacle for the Australian cricket side. It’s massive … there is something special building,” Lyon said.
England won the Headingley match by 1 wicket in the 3rd Test match of the 5 match series to level series 1-1. The series was drawn 2-2 in August-September 2019. In Headingley, England was dismissed for 67 but achieved the target of 359 with Ben Stokes scoring a ton.