Swashbuckling Australian opening batter David Warner has arrived in India for the three-match ODI series against the Men in Blue. Warner had returned to Australia in the middle of the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Test series between India and Australia after suffering an elbow injury. The pocket-sized dynamo reached Mumbai, a city that will host the 1st ODI between the two nations on March 17 (Friday).
While Warner will require a medical clearance from the Australian team doctors before being available for the opening match of the ODI series, the left-handed batter needed no clearance to play street cricket in Mumbai.
The Aussie superstar took to Instagram and shared a video of himself playing street cricket in Mumbai with a plastic ball. Fans eagerly caught the moment on their mobile phones as Warner is seen playing a backfoot defensive shot.
"Found a quiet street to have a hit," Warner wrote on his Instagram post.
Watch the video here:
Warner looked like a pale shadow of himself in the red-ball series against India. In three innings, the left-handed aggressive batter aggregated just 26 runs as he struggled immensely on turning Indian pitches.
Having said that, Warner's credentials can never be doubted, particularly in white-ball cricket. He has won several matches for the Baggy Greens with his dominant display with the bat. India has been on the receiving end of Warner's carnage on plenty of occasions. The 36-year-old has scored 990 runs against India in ODI matches at a terrific average of 52.10 and a strike rate of 96.67. He has registered six half-centuries and three tons in 20 innings against India in ODIs.
India will have their work cut out when it comes to keeping Warner in check. The onus will fall on right-arm pacer Mohammed Siraj, who has been the best bowler in powerplay overs in ODI cricket since 2022.
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