Fears over Warner’s ability to last the pace

HAS Australia asked too much of David Warner?

This was the question hovering around the SCG on Thursday after the star opener, pictured, hobbled and grimaced through his first attempt at a quick single only to last another five balls at the crease. Less than six weeks after tearing his groin at the same ground, Warner was rushed back by a desperate Australia, who acknowledged they were taking a calculated risk for the must-win Test.

As courageous as it was for Warner to answer an SOS from his team and put his hand up to play despite knowing he wasn’t close to fully fit – Australia may have underestimated the fact he is a bull-at-agate runner who doesn’t keep anything in the tank.

Test greats Ricky Ponting and Michael Slater felt there was a correlation between Warner struggling through two quick singles, and his decision to swing at a couple of wide ones outside off, the second of which had him out edging to slip off Mohammed Siraj.

Australian coach Justin Langer declared pre-match that although his ‘warrior’ wasn’t 100 per cent, it was highly unlikely Warner could re-injure himself again.

On Thursday the early word out of the camp was there had been no aggravation or further damage caused.

Ponting had his fingers crossed.

“I think everyone knew that he probably wasn’t going to be 100 per cent coming into the Test match. The only thing I hope is that he hasn’t tweaked it again, doing something more there,” said Ponting on Channel 7. “It was pretty much from that moment on that those loose shots started. So hopefully it wasn’t playing on his mind. Hopefully he’s OK and hopefully we can just say that that’s the way David Warner plays a shot like that early on in a Test match.”