World Test Championship: Mark Taylor backs THIS IPL star for showpiece final, also urges for two Ashes Tests
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Mark Taylor has backed struggling Australian star David Warner to keep his place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia while also urging the selectors to give him an opportunity in the first two Ashes Tests.
Former Australia captain and commentator Mark Taylor has backed David Warner for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against India in June while he struggled for the national side recently. Warner has been on the backlash of fans and former cricketers after failing to make a mark in the India tour and home series against South Africa. Taylor also urged the Australia selectors to play Warner in the first two Ashes Tests while keeping Cameron Bancroft or Matt Renshaw as the backup openers.
"If I am reading the tea leaves right, it sounds like they will stick with David for the World Test Championship at The Oval," the former Test captain told AAP.
Taylor, who succeeded World Cup winner Alan Border in 1994, thinks Warner still has enough in the tank to lead Australia to WTC glory.
"And if that's the way Australia are thinking about the World Test Championship, then yes, they have to start with him for the Ashes.
According to the former skipper, seeing Usman Khawaja and Warner open would be a hard perspective when they take on India at the Oval in June. He has backed the team to keep faith in the same openers for the WTC final as well as the first three Ashes Tests.
"It would be very hard to have Usman Khawaja and Warner open the batting and then change a week later for the first Test at Edgbaston. Whoever they think is our best opening combination for the World Test Championship, should do the first three Tests of the summer."
Speaking on potential successors to Warner if he fails, Taylor has recommended Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw as the potential headline makers. Bancroft has not played a Test match since the 2019 Ashes, but was the leading run-scorer in this summer's Sheffield Shield with 945 at an average of 59.06, while Renshaw played for the Aussies in the India series.
"My old way of thinking, I always like a right-and-left-hander combination. So I would love to see Cameron Bancroft get another opportunity at the top of the order," he said. "I see Renshaw has been making runs in New Zealand [for Australia A], but Bancroft has made a heap of runs in the Australian summer.
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