IND vs AUS: As David Warner's inconsistent run in Test cricket continues, clouds over his place in the team are growing further. Even though he smashed a double hundred in the Melbourne Test against South Africa, Warner is not proving to be a daily customer of scores of over fifty, currently. He was sent back by Mohammed Shami in the first innings as his stump went to a flier. Meanwhile, former Aussie legend Ricky Ponting believes team management should take tough calls of dropping Warner can be one of that.
Speaking in an ICC Review, Ponting stated that Warner is not averaging well in India. "I think he averages 24 in India, something like that, from about eight Test matches. Nine Test matches -- well, eight-and-a-half, he's got another (innings) yet -- but that average would've dipped down again today (Thursday)," Ponting said in an ICC review.
He added that Warner was among those players who termed winning in India is bigger than an Ashes win and the selectors shall take some tough calls. He's one of the players that has come out and said that winning in India, as far as he's concerned, would be maybe even bigger than winning an Ashes series."So, if the selectors and the coach and the captain, if they are so hell-bent on winning this series and a couple of their batters for the first few games don't fire, then I think they have to have a look at picking who they think is their best line-up going forward," said Ponting.
The multiple World Cup winner for Australia Ponting gave the example of Travis Head being dropped due to a below-average record in the subcontinent. "I think Head's been left out of this Test match because of his record in the subcontinent, plus the amount of left-handers that Australia have in their side. So you could probably say the same thing about David Warner. The other thing on the back of it, unfortunately for David, is that he also hasn't got a great record in England. The next Test series they play is very soon after this one finishes, obviously with an IPL in the middle. David knows in his own heart of hearts that he needs to score some runs in the first part of this series," added Ponting.
