Australia suffered a massive blow ahead of the Pink Ball Test against Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team in Adelaide on December 17 as David Warner was officially ruled out of the match due to a groin injury. David Warner had suffered the injury while fielding during the 2nd ODI against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground and this forced him to miss the third ODI and the three-match Twenty20 International series. In his absence, Australia lost the final ODI in Canberra while they suffered a 1-2 series loss against India in the Twenty20 Internationals. This has thrown the Australian opening combination in disarray heading into the Adelaide Test match, which will be the first overseas Day-Night Test for India.
In a statement on the official website of Cricket Australia, David Warner said that he is not 100 percent convinced about his fitness. “I feel I have made great progress in a short amount of time and it’s best for me to stay here in Sydney to continue working on getting back to full fitness. The injury feels a lot better, but I need to be able to satisfy in my own mind and to my teammates that it is 100 per cent ready for Test match conditions. That includes running between the wickets and being agile in the field. Right now, I feel I am short of being able to play at peak fitness and another 10 days will make a difference,” Warner said.
David Warner’s absence is a massive blow for Australia as he has performed incredibly well in home Tests in the last couple of years. In the 2019 Pink Ball Test against Pakistan, David Warner smashed 335, the second-highest individual score in Tests by an Australian player. In home Tests, Warner averages 66 and it was his absence, along with Steve Smith in 2018/19 that Australia lost a Test series at home for the first time to India.
Warner’s absence and the performance of the Australia A openers against India has left the selectors with a huge headache. Joe Burns, who averages just over eight in First Class cricket this season, is low on confidence while Will Puckovski suffered a blow on the helmet against India at the Drummoyne Oval and experienced mild concussion symptoms. Puckovski is reportedly out of the reckoning to be selected for Adelaide.
Usman Khawaja has not been selected in any of the Australia squads but he could come back in case the opening conundrum is not sorted. Australia A and India will play their second warm-up game for the Tests and the 2nd practice match at the Sydney Cricket Ground will be with the Pink Ball.