David Warner made a brilliant comeback after a year-long ban from the game in the Indian T20 League and later in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Post top-scoring in the Indian T20 League and winning the ‘Orange Cap’, Warner went on to conquer England, a frontier he had struggled in, during the World Cup with three tons and finishing one shy of Rohit Sharma as the highest scorer in the tournament.
Even with his long absence from red-ball cricket, Warner was expected to come into the Ashes all guns blazing. But three innings into the series, Warner has not just struggled for runs but also made himself a bunny to Stuart Broad.
Warner was in fact caught down the leg side to Broad off the very first ball of the series from the tall England seamer. England did not review the on-field decision of not out and Warner escaped. But he couldn't capitalise on that and fell soon after to Broad himself. In the second innings, Broad once again proved to be Warner's nemesis by forcing him to edge to the keeper for eight.
In the second Test at Lord's, it took Broad just a handful of balls to dismiss Warner. This time around he angled a ball into the southpaw from round the wicket to clean him up for three.
In the three innings this series, Warner has made just 13 runs. He has faced just 29 balls from Broad to be dismissed thrice. In Tests, Warner has fallen to Broad eight times in 554 balls bowled at him by the England seamer.
In 2013, Warner was dismissed four times in the series against England by Broad. In the 2017-18 series in Australia, though, Warner seemed to have taken a monkey off his back by playing out Broad comfortably. The strike rate was much lower but he wasn't dismissed by Broad through the series.
Cometh the 2019 Ashes, though, the Achilles heel is back and Warner cannot buy a run in the series so far. Australia seem overdependent on Steven Smith with Warner not stepping up and even with a 1-0 lead, the opener's form will be a source for worry.
Featuree image courtesy: AFP / Lindsey Parnaby
