Australian opener David Warner says he is now in a better frame of mind to tackle the challenges of the upcoming Test tour of India after raw journal entries revealed the left-hander had decided he never wanted to play in the subcontinent again.
Warner was speaking ahead of Friday’s public release of the second season of Amazon’s The Test documentary, which shows details of his diary notes during Australia’s tumultuous Test tour of India in 2017.
Australia won the first match in Pune by 333 runs but lost two of the next three to go down 2-1 in the series, prompting Warner to write in his diary: “I am done. One game to go and never again touring subcontinent. Too much stress on my mind that I don’t need.”
Six years on, Warner was named by Australian selectors on Wednesday for another tour of India, beginning in Nagpur on February 9.
Warner, who returns for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League on Friday against the Perth Scorchers at the Sydney Showground Stadium, has detailed how he was feeling during a series in which he made 193 runs at 24.12.
“It was more about where you are mentally and where your game is,” he said. “I think I’m in a great headspace now where I can tackle that. It was one of those series where we won the first game and then we should have won in Bangalore and then it was a collapse from there. Mentally, we were exhausted.
David Warner returns to the Big Bash after eight years on Friday playing for the Thunder. Credit:Getty
“We’ve got a lot to look forward to this year. We’ve got the World Cup going back there. Each IPL I’m always looking to learn and improve my game on those low and slow wickets. I think from there I worked hard on my game to adapt.”
Warner is back in the BBL after an eight-year hiatus. He is being paid at least $70,000 per match but he won’t captain the side, with Chris Green set to continue in the absence of regular skipper Jason Sangha.
During the Test summer, Warner retracted his bid to have a lifetime leadership ban revoked, a decision he said he was at peace with.
“Yeah, definitely, we’ve moved on from that,” Warner said. “You can see where my head is at the moment. I scored a nice double century … at the MCG after a bit of an up and down few months there.
David Warner, pictured batting during the Test against India in Dharmsala in 2017, vowed to never tour the subcontinent again.Credit:AP
“That stuff leading into Perth and Adelaide was unnecessary and not needed. It’s very difficult to get your head in the right frame of mind to perform. When you’ve got things hanging over your head for no reason whatsoever, and it could have been dealt with earlier … I wiped that straight away and let that go as soon as we made that decision. It’s my time to contribute and give back.”
Meanwhile, Australia have pulled out of their upcoming men’s ODI series against Afghanistan, citing further restrictions on women’s rights imposed in the country by the Taliban.
Australia had been set to meet Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates for three matches in March but, following consultation with the Australian Government and other stakeholders, Cricket Australia has decided to scrap the series.
When Afghanistan’s capital Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, the extremist group banned women from playing sport, saying it would contravene Islamic laws requiring their hair and skin to be covered.
In a statement on Thursday, CA said the decision to withdraw from the men’s ODI series followed recent Taliban restrictions placed on women’s and girls’ education and employment opportunities and their ability to access parks and gyms.
“CA is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan, and will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country,” CA said. We thank the Australian Government for its support on this matter.”
The cancellation of the series comes after Australia cited similar reasons for scrapping a one-off Test against Afghanistan that had been scheduled to be played in Hobart in November 2021.
With AAP
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