Here’s a question many Australian fans will be asking themselves after watching David Warner bat in the Indian Premier League: If he had managed to bat in the same manner against India in the recently concluded Test series, could the result have been different?
The Australian opener was their most experienced batsman (with 60 Tests under his belt) coming into the series but he never really got going. The spinners usually had his number and he almost looked nervous in the middle – a far cry from his usual aggressive self. He managed just 193 runs in the series at an average of 24.12.
Cut to the IPL and the Warner of old is on display. His 76 off 45 balls against the Gujarat Lions not only propelled his side to victory but also showed that in T20 cricket, the left-hander is an altogether different beast.
The Gujarat Lions didn’t have a good total on board and that meant Warner didn’t have to go crazy from ball one. But the SRH skipper is never one to hold back and he played shots all around the park to get his team off to a quick start. Two sixes off Suresh Raina in the third over of the innings showed that he is feeling pretty good about his game.
From that point on, SRH gave the Lions no chance. Dhawan didn’t survive long, but along with Moises Henriques, Warner made sure his team made it home well in time for dessert.
Last season, he scored 848 runs at an average of 60.57. This year, he seems determined to go one better.
Comfort zone
Captaincy clearly brings out the best in him. Warner’s batting average as captain in IPL stands at 51.60 – highest for any player scoring 500 or more runs as skipper in the tournament. Indeed, far from crumbling under pressure, he seems to revel with the added responsibility.
Just a few days back, Ricky Ponting had spoken about how Warner will be back in his comfort zone with SRH.
“He’s a strong character ... and you need to be very strong in your beliefs [to captain in the IPL]. You need those Indian players and everyone else to be on the same page and heading in the same direction. I’m pretty sure Davey would have demanded that of his players last year.
The way he played last year, having coached against him a few times, he was just about the standout performer. Virat was unbelievably good, but Davey wasn’t far behind. And to be fair, the Sunrisers will need him again to play the way he did and lead the way he did.
And you can see that he’s really passionate about it, the energy and the intensity was really coming out of him. That was great to see.”
It also helps that Warner has the kind of consistency which is amazing by T20 standards. The fifty against Gujarat was his 33rd – most by any batsman. He was earlier at level with Gautam Gambhir with 32 fifties.
If you have a formula that works, then you know that it is something you can just fall back upon in case things get difficult. Warner has clearly done that.
The other thing he has done very well is given his bowlers a lot of confidence. He is allowing bowlers to actually set fields and for youngsters, that is big. It gives them confidence and the knowledge that they have their captain’s respect.
All in all, under Warner, SRH look like a well-rounded unit that is going to be really hard to stop. And in case, anyone has other plans, they can be sure their captain will be upto the challenge.
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