MELBOURNE: As Australia prepare for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, David Warner has emphasised the crucial need for substantial runs from the top order, considering the persistent Indian bowling attack's effectiveness when working in tandem.
The third Test commences on December 14 at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. After a decisive 295-run loss to India at Perth's Optus Stadium, where Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Yashasvi Jaiswal excelled, the hosts bounced back impressively.
Brilliant bowling from Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, complemented by Travis Head's aggressive century, secured Australia a comprehensive 10-wicket victory while pursuing a modest 19-run target.
In his media interaction on Wednesday, Warner, as quoted by Wide World of Sports, called for improved batting performances to reduce pressure on the bowling unit.
"I think the pressure is on all of the top order, not just Uzzie (Usman Khawaja). Travis came out and counterpunched with a brilliant hundred--we know he's capable of that--but it's about everyone else around him providing support," Warner remarked.
"It's not just one player in particular; it's the top six scoring bulk runs and giving the fast bowlers a break. The first game was high-paced, but in the last one, we saw Mitchell Starc at his best with the pink ball. Come Brisbane, we need to see some big runs from the top order."
"This Indian bowling attack is relentless when they bowl in partnerships. If they maintain the intensity we saw with Bumrah the other day, the boys will need to dig deep and put big runs on the board," he added.
Warner's observations are supported by statistics. Notable batters have underperformed this series: Khawaja (308 runs, avg. 25.66), Smith (232 runs, avg. 23.20), Labuschagne (309 runs, avg. 28.09), Marsh (272 runs, avg. 24.72), and Carey (317 runs, avg. 31.70).
Travis Head stands out with 438 runs at 39.81, including two centuries. Despite fewer substantial scores, Head appears the most consistent amongst Australia's top-order batters.
Warner praised Nathan McSweeney's composure as an opener under testing conditions.
"He's faced four of the five toughest challenges for an opening batsman and handled them well. The intent he showed the other day was promising. While there were questions about his selection, his performance shows why he was chosen. He has a good temperament and setup, and I think he has a bright future ahead," said Warner.
McSweeney recovered from scores of 0 and 10 in Perth to register a solid 39 in Adelaide, forming a fifty partnership with Labuschagne, before an unbeaten 10 in the second innings.
