Warner’s woes give England hope
David Warner makes runs or gets out.
Even when he is not doing the former, Warner tends not to stay long enough at the crease to lose form or plunge into agonies. So his early dismissal at Lord’s yesterday for three, after scores of two and eight in Edgbaston, might indicate a tremor within that tough hide of confidence, or it might not.
One thing is for sure. In the battle with Stuart Broad, Warner is losing. Broad slid a good length ball through the left-hander’s defence, completing a treble of dismissals.
All the excited burbling around the home of cricket when the second test between England and Australia began a day late was directed at the debut of Jofra Archer, but it was Broad who struck England’s only blow.
The game is poised on a balance beam, wobbling both ways, after Cameron Bancroft and an impressive Usman Khawaja lasted until stumps and performed the prime task of protecting their queen bee, Steve Smith. Australia trail by 228 runs and are one good day’s batting from gaining a decisive advantage in this Ashes series.
That Warner could not get his job done in the testing twilight hour is the developing storyline. His three failures at least prove the worthlessness of predictions.
During their bans, Warner and Smith played a lot of limited-overs cricket and, while Smith struggled with injury and moments of introspective crisis, Warner went about his business professionally, piling up impervious heaps in multiple formats and far-flung venues.
It was Warner who looked settled and confident during the World Cup, and Warner who was forecast to bring his great determination to his best format, the five-day game, while Smith’s mental space was causing concern. Things haven’t turned out that way.
Possibly Warner is trying too hard. Lord’s was abuzz with Archer’s appearance as he dialled up the pace to 150kmh in a bracing first spell.
Had James Anderson been fit, England would have had a selection problem. Warner steeled himself against the fastest bowling the Australians have faced all year. His footwork was steadier than at Edgbaston. But he received a good ball from Broad, one that might have dismissed him if he was three or 103, so maybe that is all there is to it. Story to be continued.
■ Australia were 30-1 at stumps in reply to England’s first innings of 258.