Australia opener David Warner has said he wasn’t worried about his lean patch despite everyone talking about his form in the last few days.
David Warner and Aaron Finch set the tone with a 70-run opening stand as Australia chased down a target of 155 against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Warner was going through a lean patch but the batter made sure he smashed his fifty right when Australia needed him the most.
“I had to start fresh. Everyone was talking about my form but I reiterated that it’s not the thing I’m worried about, it’s about going out there and starting well. Finchy started well, we gelled well out there and applied pressure to the bowlers,” said Warner in the post-match press conference as per ICC.
“It’s the world of sport, when you ride the highs, you’ve got to ride the lows and you have to stay confident, keep a smile on your face and never let it get to you.
“It was great to get out there in the middle, spend some time there, running between the wickets. Little things like that just keep your mind ticking,” he added.
Part of the challenge for all the top-order batters is the slow nature of the wickets, with Warner having explained that he had taken to training on synthetic wickets and polished concrete in order to adjust.
“That’s helped and it’s something we’ll keep continuing through this World Cup. You’ve got to have a nice, stable base on these wickets,” said Warner.
“When people take pace off the ball, you’ve got to wait for the ball, when there’s pace on it, you can sit on it,” he added.
As Australia looked to finish it off quickly, Warner found Rajapaksa on the boundary for 65 off just 42 deliveries, but Steve Smith and Marcus Stoinis got them home with three overs to spare, to boost the net run-rate as well.
Meanwhile, India batter Hanuma Vihari pointed out that Smith’s skills will play a key role for Australia on UAE wickets.
“Warner returned to form at the right time for Australia and gave a scintillating start with Finch.. But the way Smith finished the match was fantastic for me.. A batsman like Smith will play a big role in the matches ahead on UAE pitches.. This is my calculation,” Vihari said on Koo.
Australia will next lock horns with England on Saturday.
