Warner wins war of words
THE equation in cricket is usually straightforward with one man’s joy another’s pain, but both Tom Curran and David Warner experienced both sides of the divide during a single delivery on day one here.
If the stage does not come much bigger for a batsman from Australia than a century in a Boxing Day Test in front of 88,172 people, being an England bowler on yo ur debut and getting that man out for 99 might just do it.
So when Curran had Warner caught by Stuart Broad at mid-on and thought he had his first Test wicket, his unconfined joy was as understandable as Warner’s anger.
Moments later, those emotions had switched 180 degrees, when Curran was shown to have overstepped with his front foot. It was the only no-ball England bowled all day.
Warner was recalled, clipped his next ball for a single that led to a huge celebration, and then had an almighty slanging match with the bowler and a few other England players for good measure.
Curran’s agony and Warner’s reprieve was the one dramatic moment on a day that did little justice to the stage the magnificent MCG set up, on a pitch where England found little joy and batsmen found runs hard currency.
As both men reflected on the moment afterwards – which came in the second session when Australia were 133-1 – the emotions were still raw.
“It has been a mixed day,” said Curran. “It was great to make my debut and it’s a very proud day. I asked the umpire how my foot was the ball before that, and he said, ‘Half and half’, so I moved a bit forward. I’m gutted.
“It was horrible, the worst feeling I’ve had in cricket but, looking at the positives, I get to get my first wicket twice.”
Curran was wrapped in the protective huddle of his England team-mates as it dawned on him that Warner was going to be recalled, the big screen playing out the truth of a clear no-ball to the delight of the crowd.
But as Warner got to his ton, Curran let the frustrations boil over into a choice word (or two), with the Australian sending some earthy responses in the direction not only of Curran but Jonny Bairstow, Jimmy Anderson and Joe Root.
“It was just one of those things that the bowler is going to be annoyed that he overstepped the mark and could have had me out,” said Warner. “He muttered something and I didn’t let it go. Obviously I had to bite back as I normally do. It is on the field and it is the game of cricket – it is always going to happen. But if he comes out to bat I might have to stoke it on.”
Warner will almost certainly “stoke it on” even if he did not stoke his own innings much further, clipping an airy waft outside off stump at Anderson, and departing for 103.
Yet this was Australia’s day again in front of the fourthhighest MCG Test crowd in history.
Warner’s brisk early pace had given way to a crawl towards his century but that early batting was enough at odds with the rest of the day’s play to make it the standout performance. Even Steve Smith found conditions difficult on his way to an unbeaten half-century.
Stuart Broad has found the going hard on this tour and finally bookended his last wicket – taken on day two in Adelaide – with another when Usman Khawaja was caught behind. It has been a slog with 69 overs and 0-219 in between, yet at least Broad has threatened the edge. Moeen Ali is fast backing himself out of the role as frontline spinner and here Root risked him for only six overs (which went for 35 runs), replacing him with the leg spin of Dawid Malan. Mason Crane could now come in for Moeen in Sydney. After the summer Moeen had, where he took 25 South Africa wickets and hit 351 runs, it is hard to believe. But then cricket can be like that – as Warner and Curran would no doubt agree.