Warner fails test in a war of words
DAVID Warner yesterday let his halo slip for the first time since taking over as vice-captain and came off second best in a war of words with a West Indies side that finally breathed some fire into the Melbourne Test.
Australia are still powering towards series victory at 459 runs in front, but James Pattinson’s front-foot farce and some intimidation tactics from Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder spurred the West Indies on to comfortably their best day of the summer.
Australia probably thought they’d be celebrating their second Frank Worrell series triumph in a year last night, but instead they were contemplating a fourth and potentially fifth day of toil, with Steve Smith (70 not out) and Mitchell Marsh (18no) set to resume this morning at 3-179.
It was nearly 12 months ago that Warner last got into trouble for his “speak English” barb directed at Indian Rohit Sharma at the MCG, but since then Australia’s star opener has almost gone out of his way to avoid on-field confrontation – and there was no suggestion of anything ugly about yesterday’s lively exchange.
However, Warner showed how difficult it is for a tiger to truly change his stripes and Windies’ giants Holder and Brathwaite successfully managed to get under the skin of one of Test cricket’s great antagonists and ultimately take his wicket, sparking raucous celebrations.
Warner averages well over 40 against all international opponents except the West Indies – with his average against the Test minnows languishing at an incomprehensible 28.69.
The coliseum of the MCG is also proving to be a house of pain for Warner (averaging just 24.22 with no hundreds from five matches) – and Brathwaite and Holder didn’t hold back in letting him know about it with shoulder barging and a couple of verbal blasts.
“It’s been documented I bowl quite slow … so if the revs aren’t on the ball from my hand then I need to have something inside to try and get myself up. I tried to show some aggression,” said Brathwaite, who earlier scored an entertaining 59 with the bat having been given two lives by Pattinson.
“I’m not sure (if I got under his skin), he’s a professional … it’s just some days it comes off, some days it doesn’t.
“At the end of the day it’s a war between bat and ball and West Indies and Australia. I don’t take anything off the field personally and if the opportunity presents itself to have a drink with him after the Test (I will), but out there I represent the West Indies and I do everything I can to represent that badge.”
Holder also climbed in with a verbal barrage and Warner was back in old surroundings with a war zone breaking out in the middle. When the opener guided a Brathwaite delivery safely into Holder’s hands at gully – the West Indian duo celebrated so jubilantly they fell over each other.