India vs Australia: David Warner injury scare for Australia

Australia’s David Warner was taken to hospital for scans on a groin strain on Sunday, prompting a nervous wait for the hosts ahead of the start of the test series against India in Adelaide on Dec. 17.

The opener looked in fine form as he scored 83 to help the home side to an imposing 389-4 in the second one-dayer against the tourists at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Four overs into India’s reply, however, he rolled over in clear pain clutching his groin after fielding a shot from Shikhar Dhawan and had to be helped from the ground by the team physiotherapist.

A severe groin strain requires up to six weeks on the sidelines for recovery, which would rule Warner out of all but the final test in the four-match series.

Warner, who missed India’s last tour Down Under while serving a ban for his part in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, is one of the first names on the team sheet for Australia’s test team.

The 34-year-old has been an ever present at the top of the order for the best part of a decade when fit and eligible, scoring 7,244 test runs at an average of 48.94.

India won their first ever test series on Australian soil in the 2018–19 season when Warner and former captain Steve Smith, who scored a second successive century in Sunday’s match, were banned.

All-rounder Marcus Stoinis suffered a side injury in the first one-dayer on Friday and missed Sunday’s match.