Playing in heat can test mind
Despite rivalry, no bad blood between IndiaAustralia
David Warner is a product of the T20 revolution. His international debut was in the format and he took to the league like fish to water. He has excelled as a batsman as well as captain. His full potential was to the fore in 2016 when he captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to the title while scoring 848 runs (60.57 average). Having started IPL 10 with a convincing win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Warner spoke to HT. Excerpts:
Sunrisers, as holders, will be marked by all as the one to beat. Does it add to the challenge?
It’s always the situation in all sports around the world. You are expected to win every game; it’s a tough ask, but it’s about sticking to our basics and doing the best we can, and not worry about results.
The way we started was fantastic, a whole-hearted team performance. Last year, predominantly a lot of our games were won by individuals, not really through team efforts.
You were like a oneman army in 2016; looks like captaincy helps lift your game?
Captaincy is great fun. You try and lead from the front. I give all my responsibilities to my players; each individual is accountable for himself.
You go out and play the way you know – if you get out, you get out, if it comes off, it’s great. At the end of the day, we are only playing a game.
Everyone is giving 100 %, everyone is bound to make mistakes.
Everyone is waiting for you to go headtohead with Steve Smith…
It’s going to be great, we are the captain and vice-captain of our country. Pune is a very good team, they played very well last night (beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets). It’s about what role certain players play in their teams. Steve is going to be their anchor, Ben Stokes their impact player and MS Dhoni their finisher. Steve is playing well at the top of the order; we will have to work out how to get him early.
Smith has taken the game to a different level. How do you look at his transformation?
Steve’s exceptional. When he came into the team, some people criticised his technique etc., but he is the most difficult batsman to dismiss. He knows how to switch gears, he is able to accelerate and decelerate according to the situation, that’s the kind of quality player he is.
Was it unexpected the IndiaAustralia series was played in such a heated atmosphere?
Any series we play, there are going to be heated arguments, and it gets blown out of proportion in the media, at the end of the day you guys have a job, we have a job.
We try and play 100%; we try and keep everything within the spirit of the game. Sometimes when people are playing in 40 degrees heat, it can test your mental state. The guys made a few mistakes, they shook hands after that and everything is fine.