Back into the Australian ODI setup after serving a year long ban for ball tampering, David Warner showed no signs of uneasiness as he played a stroke-filled 89 to guide the defending champions to a fine win over Afghanistan on Saturday (June 1).
Warner, who was declared the Man of the Match, was tentative at the start of his innings before growing more assured. He admitted that his long absence from the 50-over format had played a part in his slow start.
“I think it was just nerves getting back into the camp, and getting back into the full intensity of training," Warner said at the post-match presentation. "I was a little bit more relaxed when Finchy (Aaron Finch) started going. But look, to come out here and bowl the way that we did, probably set the tone from Ball 1 for us with the bat… there is a great energy and a great buzz about this team at the moment.
"The way that I started out there - playing Twenty20 cricket over the last sort of 12 to 14 months - I hadn't really moved my feet at all. So, to get back into rhythm out there, start moving in the right direction, getting my head over the ball - that was just great to get out there and do that. As a positive, for us, it's about getting past this first victory and move on to the West Indies."
Warner put on 96 in 16.2 overs for the opening wicket, with Finch smashing 66 off 49. But Warner gritted his way through a patchy first half to ensure he was there at the end, earning praise from his captain and opening partner.
"I think he was struggling for the first half of his innings there," Finch said. "He struggled to time the ball and his feet weren't really going, so the fact that he kept hanging in there and hanging in there… you always have to remember that it's going to be harder for a new batter to come in. So that was great for him, to just keep on and do that job really well for us and be not out at the end."
