Warner’s sights on records against NZ
David Warner is on track for the greatest Australian summer by an opener, with his average of 388 across all formats well above anything achieved before.
Warner’s demolition job on Pakistan in Adelaide took his international run-scoring tally for the summer of cricket to 776, after also blitzing the seasonopening Twenty20 series.
Matthew Hayden’s 1377 runs in 2003-04 is the most prolific by an opener in Australia, aided by what was then a world record score of 380 against Zimbabwe.
Warner still has up to nine innings to chase that tally down, with three tests against New Zealand and then a three-match oneday series in March.
His average in seven tests against the Black Caps is 71.27, including four centuries. The first test with the pink ball starts in Perth next Thursday.
Former England captain Alastair Cook’s record average of 127.66 from his dominant 2010-11 tour is also well in sight for Warner.
The Australian left-hander could score ducks in his next four
Best Australian summers by openers:
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innings and mark.
It’s all a far cry from the predicament Warner found himself in two months ago, desperately out of runs after averaging just 9.5 in the Ashes.
‘‘I’ve had to regroup since coming back from England,’’ Warner said this week.
‘‘I have had to change the way I play. I hit probably 3500 or 4000 balls leading into Brisbane. And then [in Adelaide] I batted 21⁄2 hour sessions leading up as well.
‘‘It’s not by chance I tightened that [defence] up. I worked really
still
sit above that hard on that in the nets.
‘‘I never doubted myself at all. I am a very confident person.’’
Warner’s Adelaide Oval record of 335 not out was his third century of the summer, while he also has two scores of more than 50.
His form will be the last thing New Zealand want to see after having grown tired opener’s runs in the past.
On their tour of Australia in 2015 Warner hit back-to-back centuries in Brisbane followed by a double-ton in Perth and has an average of 93.37 against them at home.
However, the Black Caps should present something of a
of
the
David Warner celebrates after scoring an unbeaten 335 in Australia’s second test against Pakistan. He will be hoping to be in the runs again when Australia face the Black Caps. bigger challenge this time around, ranked No 2 in the world and with Trent Boult and Neil Wagner big threats with the ball.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith holds the record for the most runs in any position for an Australian summer, with his tally of 1647 for 2014-15 seemingly unreachable.
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