TOI has learned that star flyhalf David Warner will only play in the opener ODI if he is able to “comfortably beat in the net” on Wednesday night at net. The veteran fly-half needs to prove his fitness after recovering from a broken elbow.
The explosive southpaw, 36, was ruled out midway through the second Test in Delhi with a concussion and a hairline fracture in his elbow in the just-completed series, which India won 2-1. He was then forced to return to Australia.
Very popular in India, Warner was spotted playing street cricket with a group of children in the city. “Found a quiet street to get a hit,” Warner captioned his Instagram post, while posting a video of him playing cricket on a Mumbai street. He previously posted a selfie of himself sitting in a car with a kaali-peeli taxi driver, giving him a “thumbs up” and captioning it “outside” in the city.
Out 👏👏 #mumbai #india https://t.co/X2SRA0eZQW
—David Warner (@davidwarner31) 1678852609000
The next two games in the ODI series will be played at Vizag on Sunday and Chennai on March 22.
Australian coach Andrew McDonald was optimistic about the striker’s fitness for the ODIs a few days ago.
While Warner had recently suffered a poor run in Test cricket, he has a terrific ODI-6007 run in 141 games at 45.16, with 19 cents and 27 fifty. When Australia last faced India at Wankhede Stadium in an ODI on January 14, 2020, the veteran batsman scored an unbeaten 128, adding 258* with fellow fly-half Aaron Finch to help the visitors to a landslide victory of 10 counters.
Warner and Marsh meet DC gamers
Meanwhile, Warner and the versatile Mitchell Marsh, who play for the Capitals of Delhi IPL men’s team – met the Delhi Capitals WPL team players and coaching staff at their hotel.
