David Warner optimistic of playing the first Test against Sri Lanka
Jul 8, 2016 at 4:08 PM
Australian opener David Warner is confident of recovering from injury in time to play the first Test against Sri Lanka. The southpaw suffered a broken finger during the second half of the recently concluded one-day tri-series in the West Indies. Warner will probably miss both warm-up matches.
“I’ve done it before,” Warner told reporters in Sydney on Friday, referring to going into a Test with no warm-up games. “I’ve picked up a bat and gone back out there and tried to play to the best of my abilities. Sometimes it comes off. You always want some time in the nets.
“For myself, I’ve said in the past, less is more. I prefer to go into a lot of the games fresh. I don’t usually hit a lot leading into any series or any game. I just like to go in there and bat for 20 minutes or so.”
Warner said that he is more worried about his fielding in the slip cordon than the batting due to the injury.
“The biggest thing for myself is the fielding aspect,” Warner said. “I field in the slips, so I’m going to have to try to take a handful of catches there to make sure it’s nice and warm.”
Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann too sounded confident about Warner’s chances of playing in the first Test. Lehmann said that even if he misses the warm-up games he could still be included into the playing XI for the first Test.
“He will be fine,” Lehmann told the Age. “He probably won’t play the two-day game but should play the first-class game – the tour game before we play the first Test. Even if he didn’t, I am not too worried about that. He is one of these guys who picks up a bat quite quickly.
“He has had broken fingers and injuries before, and we have just plugged him back into Test cricket and he is fine. We would like him to play the tour game and, hopefully, medically he can, but if he can’t, I am not too stressed. As long as he is available for the first Test.”