Ashes 2019: Steve Smith Not Playing is the Best Thing for David Warner, Says Tim Paine

Australia have registered a massive 251-run win over England in the first Test of five-match Ashes series. Their win came on the back f twin centuries by Steve Smith who unfortunately wouldn’t play in the third test due to a late concussion. His exclusion has become a golden opportunity for the opener David Warner who was seen struggling with the bat so far.

Both David Warner and Steve Smith have returned in the Test cricket after a completing a year-long ban from the International cricket due to the ball-tampering case. Smith started with a bang where Warner is yet to show his capability. Australia captain Tim Paine, however, has backed David Warner in the top-order because he is one of the experienced players and has 6,381 runs in 76 matches which came at an average of 46.91. Moreover, most f his runs came against the new ball.

However, Warner always plays better under pressure and Smith’s absence will help him to step up, thinks captain Tim Paine.

“Very confident,” Paine said about Warner returning to form. “I’ve spoken a lot about the fact he averages close to fifty in Test cricket, and he’s done that over a long period of time. I think with Steve missing this game, it might be the little poke and prod that Davey needs.”

“He likes that responsibility and my experience with Davey is when people doubt him and his back is against the wall, he comes out swinging. I’m expecting the very best David Warner this week,” he added.

Warner has played 3 Ashes series before. In the current Ashes series, Warner has been targeted on his front pad and stumps by Stuart Broad, who has already dismissed him three times and debutant Jofra Archer once.

“It’s not nice when a weakness is clearly being targeted, but you’ve got to put your ego to bed and make a change,” Kevin Pietersen wrote in his online blog this week. “With him (Warner) batting on the middle stump, he is leaving his stumps completely open. He doesn’t know where his off stump is, so he doesn’t know what to play. That’s why he’s nicking so many balls,” he added.

However, this is not the first time Warner has seen struggling. In 2013 he was also struggled to score and lost his place in the team in that year’s Ashes series in the UK. However, he had to bat at number six after his return. As a result, he has 574 runs at 30.21 from 19 innings with the highest score of 85 on British pitches which is certainly different from his overall Test record. Even this clearly shows the difficulties which he faced by the Dukes ball which has swings and seams both in the English conditions.

Warner is one of those batsmen who can turn the table single-handedly, now it will be interesting to see how Warner grabs the opportunity and bounce back in the third test.