Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has dismissed David Warner 10 times in Test cricket; only Stuart Broad with 14 dismissals has got rid of Warner more times in Test cricket.
So as the day come near to facing Ashwin again, in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, David Warner devised what could prove to be a masterplan to counter the Ashwin threat: Bat right-handed!!
David Warner switched between batting left- and right-handed in the nets!
Australian journalist Louis Cameron, who in on the tour of India to cover the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, posted a video on Twitter of Warner’s batting session from the KSCA Stadium in Alur, which in the outskirts of Bangalore, where the Australian team is having their preparatory camp.
In the video, David Warner seamlessly switches from his usual batting stance as a left-hander to a right-hander. This might be his answer to the Ashwin dilemma that would have occupied his mind leading into the series.
Extraordinary skill – @davidwarner31 switching between batting left and right handed in the nets at Alur #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/6cHhJAcvSm
— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) February 5, 2023
A beast in home conditions, David Warner has an ordinary record in India: average of 24 in 8 Tests with three fifties. In those 8 Tests, he’s been dismissed 5 times by Ashwin and 4 times by Ravindra Jadeja, and once by Harbhajan and Kuldeep each.
So the spin threat, especially Ashwin, is going to be on top of Warner’s mind as he enters in what is a crucial series for his legacy, for the Australia team to not only retain their number 1 Test ranking spot, but also to reach the final of the WTC.
David Warner is among the best players of the switch hit in white-ball cricket. However, trying to do anything like this in a Test in India, against quality bowlers like Ashwin, Jadeja, and Axar is going to take immense guts and risk.
Not that Warner is afraid of playing in risky fashion. And if he’s successful in pulling this tactic off against Ashwin and co. and put the pressure back on the hosts, this might lead to something historic for the Australian team, who have not won a Test series in India in 18 years.
India and Australia Squads for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023:
Australia Test squad for India tour: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (VC), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
India Squad for the first two matches: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Shubman Gill, C Pujara, V Kohli, S Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav
