It might have lacked the sheer impudence of Zak Crawley’s first-ball four in Birmingham, but David Warner’s aggressive start to yesterday’s Second Ashes Test was exactly the kind of innings England demand from their own openers.
The runs were one thing — 66 of them coming in just 88 balls, the first time Warner had made a half-century on these shores since the 2015 series. But perhaps more important was that commodity England place so much value on when, for instance, defending Crawley’s place in the side, namely, momentum.
It had swung notably England’s way at the toss yesterday in helpful bowling conditions, and perhaps the age-old adage about there being one coming soon with the batter’s name on it helped free Warner from the outset.
Whatever the rationale, the 36-year-old has always looked a better player on the front foot and took that somewhere closer to the Nth degree here.
His first boundary came inside the first over, pushing Jimmy Anderson through cover with movement in the air, and within six — perhaps emboldened by having already accosted a Just Stop Oil protestor — he was down on one knee attempting to slog-sweep.
Immediately after the first rain delay, he went again, this time carting Ollie Robinson for four.
Even in the sight lines of Stuart Broad, Warner looked more assured, though he would have succumbed to that rival for the 16th time in Test cricket had Ollie Pope not put down the sharpest of catches in the wide slip cordon.
“[In 2019], I was looking too defensive when I first got out there — I wasn’t actually looking to score,” Warner said at the close of play.
“Now, I feel when I’m at my best I’m actually looking to score all the time and I get into better positions to defend and play that line.
“From my perspective, I’m happy to nick off, so long as I’m in the right position and looking to score.”
Just three innings into this Ashes series — his last before he hangs up his Baggy Green — he has already managed to do that more successfully than across 10 in 2019.
