MASSIVE SAVINGS
Australia’s opening batsman wants to forget horror of Hobart, reports David Leggat in Adelaide
David Warner experienced it once and doesn’t fancy a repeat. So, too, the likely Australian bowling attack at Adelaide Oval on Friday: Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon.
They are the five survivors from December 2011, the day New Zealand shocked the Australians to square the two-game series with a thrilling seven-run win in Hobart.
The celebrations were long and loud. The hosts weren’t impressed.
“To sit in the change rooms and listen to the Kiwis celebrate was quite tough,” in-form opener Warner said yesterday. “We take those memories into this game and it would mean a lot to us if we can get up here in Adelaide.”
Warner, who almost stole the win in Hobart in just his second test with an unbeaten 123 in the pursuit of 240 to win, paid due credit to New Zealand, in particular seamer Doug Bracewell who had what has been — and may remain — his finest test, taking six for 40 in the second innings.
But failure to nail down the series win this time — Australia are 1-0 up going into the Adelaide test — would sting.
“I think we would consider that a loss [of the series] because we’ve played so well,” Warner said.
The left-hander, a hugely influential figure in the Australian team for his ability to put his side into a dominant position very quickly, has hit three successive centuries in the series. But he sent a scare through the Australian camp yesterday when he dropped a high ball in training and re-injured the thumb that forced him out of this year’s England one-day series.
He looks set to play on Friday but admitted he will need to manage the pain.
New Zealand have their own injury concerns, with Trent Boult still bothered by a back complaint. Intriguingly, Boult dismissed Warner twice in Perth.
“The way he’s bowled has been a little bit far from his best,” Warner said. “The way he bowled to me in that second day [at Perth] was the Trent Boult that I see as an international cricket player.
“He put the ball in the right areas, questioned me the whole time, then nicked me off.”
Warner is a happy talker on most cricketing subjects, but don’t try to get the ebullient Sydneysider to analyse the pink ball. He is of the see-ball, hit-ball mentality and has no interest in being burdened by what might, or might not, happen under lights.
“If we concentrate too much on the ball, then you forget about what you’ve got to do,” Warner said with unarguable logic. “Your job is to win the game for one, to score runs, take catches, take wickets. For us it’s about focusing on the game itself, not worrying about the ball.”
Australia seem likely to stick with one spinner for the test, leaving the man dubbed “The Pink Ball Specialist”, left-arm spinner Stephen O’Keefe, out.
New Zealand will monitor Boult’s performance at the nets today when he’ll be out to show he’s over the back strain.