David Warner targets good showing on tour of India after epic double hundred at MCG

New Delhi : Veteran Australia opener David Warner is now targeting a good showing in the tour of India next year after an epic double century in his 100th Test at the MCG in the side’s innings and 182-run victory over South Africa.

Warner had not scored a Test century since January 2020 and in the ongoing home summer, he had recorded scores of 5, 48, 21, 28, 0 and 3 from six innings against West Indies and South Africa till the MCG Test, in which he scored a fantastic double century in 255 balls to give Australia a series-clinching victory with a game still left in Sydney.

After this, Australia’s next Test assignment will be a tour of India for four Tests as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with Warner being the most experienced campaigner, having toured the country thrice for Test tours and playing for more than a decade in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“It’s going to be interesting. We know what we’re going to prepare for, they’re going to be turning wickets. There are going to be times when it’s going to be challenging over there, but it’s about how our batters can build and bat big as we did in Pakistan.

“I think with the ball, we’re going to do a fantastic job – we’ve got a world-class spinner in Nathan Lyon and we’re going to have to potentially think about playing two spinners. For us as a batting group we’re going to have to find a way and a method like we did in Pakistan to get through that.”

“Obviously in Sri Lanka, we had good methods and we saw in that first Test in Galle, everyone was playing reverse sweeps and sweeps, everyone had a method and they stuck to it. Moving to India, it’s going to be a batters’ battle I reckon,” Warner was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au on Friday.

Australia will be more than prepared for the tour of India after performances in Pakistan (where they won three-match series 1-0) and Sri Lanka (1-1 draw in two-match series) over the past 12 months, with players gaining an intricate understanding of playing in subcontinent conditions.

Warner added that he won’t be giving up on Test cricket anytime soon, stating he’s still motivated by his desire to win a series in India and England in 2023. He averages just 24.25 in India and 26.04 in England, with no centuries against both countries.

But the double hundred at the MCG could spark a revival. “People keep telling me ‘you’ll know when it’s time’, and I haven’t really felt that at all yet. I’m still enjoying it, and I still know what energy I can bring to the team.

I think once I start losing that spark and energy around training, and taking the mickey out of people and playing some jokes and pranks here and there, that’s when I’ll know it’s time.”

“The extra motivation for me is winning in India, and completely winning a series in England. I’ve been told by the coach and the selectors they would like me to be there. I’m in a happy place as I have been for a long time now.”