WTC Final: Former Australia fast-bowler Trent Copeland believes the side will bring the best out of veteran opener David Warner to perform in next month’s World Test Championship (WTC) Final against India and The Ashes in England.
Apart from a defiant 200 against South Africa at the MCG in December last year, Warner has struggled for runs in the format, making a total of just 26 runs in three innings in this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India before returning home due to injuries.
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Moreover, Warner averages only 26.04 in Tests in England, and had a terrible time in England during the last Ashes tour in 2019, averaging 9.50, and veteran pacer Stuart Broad took his wicket seven times.
“Warner has been a great of the game in all formats for Australia over a long period of time. What I love about this scenario is that (Warner) is a dog with a bone when he has something to fix.”
“His last trip to England in the last Ashes series and on the entire tour, all the chat was Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Jofra Archer had the wood on him and he didn’t score a run.”
“I’m excited because I think Australia will get the best out of Warner in this series. He doesn’t want to retire with that being his lasting impression of England,” Copeland was quoted as saying by SEN Radio.
Warner finished the recent IPL 2023 season for Delhi Capitals with 516 runs at an average of 36.86. Though he’s in Australia’s squad for the WTC final against India at The Oval from June 7-11 and the first two Ashes Tests, the selectors have also called up other openers Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw.
“I like that it’s for two Tests and they’re not backing (Warner) in for the whole series. Marcus Harris is over there (in England) scoring a bucket-load of runs for (Gloucestershire).”
“He has scored a few hundreds and there are plenty of guys waiting in the wings. If Warner doesn’t aim up, they’ll make a change mid-Ashes series and that will ultimately be profitable for Australia,” added Copeland.
Australia haven’t won an Ashes series in England since 2001 while England are looking to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. After Edgbaston hosts the first Ashes Test from June 16-20, the rest of the games will take place at Lord’s, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval.
