Opening batsman concedes he fell into English trap that made him shelve productive hook shot
Outsmarted Warner promises more aggression
Hard-hitting opening batsman David Warner says he needs to be more aggressive against the short ball after another soft dismissal against the delivery at Trent Bridge.
Warner was out in the second innings in Nottingham looking to work a short-pitched ball from England allrounder Ben Stokes to the leg-side, spooning a catch to Stuart Broad at mid-on to depart for 64.
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The left-hander was dismissed in identical fashion in the previous Test at Edgbaston, and was lucky to survive a top-edge over slips from the same stroke earlier in his innings in the fourth Test.
Having watched Warner deposit Steven Finn over the square leg boundary for six in the formative stages of the Australian’s second innings at Trent Bridge, England captain Alastair Cook made a tactical shift and put two men back for the hook to nullify Warner’s productive pull shot.
The move had an immediate impact as Warner shelved his horizontal heave and opted to swivel on anything short to avoid presenting a catch to the two sentries on and behind square-leg.
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But Warner’s answer to Cook’s new strategy has now failed him on two occasions, and while he jokes the immense edges on his meaty bat are partly to blame, the powerful opener says he should continue to play the hook shot and take on the fielders on the boundary.
“At the end of the day in one-day cricket, I’m probably looking to hit that over the fence and I think I have to replicate that in Test match cricket,” Warner said.
“It’s more like a half-hearted (shot), I see two people go back and I look for the one.
“With the ball moving around over here I’ve really got to work hard on trying to play with a straight bat.
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“I think that’s what I really have to work hard on.
“In Australia I can probably definitely get away with that.
“But it’s something in my game I have to work on and that’s something me and Michael Di Venuto will address.”
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