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Australia sound warning bell for Rohit Sharma-led India over star batter: 'He'll be fully invigorated, fully invested'
Australia will be looking to defy the odds and record a first Test series win in India since 2005.
Australia's much-anticipated four-match Test series in India starts on February 8 in Nagpur and the two teams are busy preparing for the series. Australia have not won a Test series against India at home or away since 2015 and have not won a red-ball series in India since 2005.
As is normally the case in India, it is expected that the team that plays spin better will prevail and Australia have a few batters in their ranks who have played in India in multiple formats before. One of those is notably David Warner, who has set numerous scoring records in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and averages over 55 in ODIs. Interestingly though, Warner has not had the same kind of success in India in Tests.
Moreover, the 36-year-old had recently admitted that he was “exhausted” just days before travelling with the team to India. Warner is coming into the series after a hectic schedule in which he has played almost continuously at home and in the subcontinent in multiple formats for about a year. However, Australia coach Andrew McDonald has said that Warner is ready to go in the series.
“There's no doubt it was a demanding summer into BBL and it creates a challenge to shift back into Test match cricket. But we feel as though with the preparation that we've got in mind, he'll be recharged and ready to go,” said McDonald on Perth Now.
McDonald said that Warner wants to make amends for his poor Test record in India. He averages just 24.25 in the 16 innings he has played with a highest score of 71. He's really looking forward to the challenge of India and it's been well-documented that he hasn't had the series that he would've liked here.
“But the way that he's applying himself in his downtime to really landing on a method to take on the Indian spinners, also the quicks, and to have a successful tour, I think you'll see him fully invigorated, fully invested and fully recharged for the challenge ahead,” said McDonald.
