David Warner has suffered a dismal return to action with his old Indian Premier League team Delhi Capitals.
The veteran Australia opener got dismissed for a sluggish four in a six-wicket defeat by Lucknow on Thursday while being completely eclipsed by his opening partner Prithvi Shaw in Navi Mumbai.
It was billed as a 'homecoming' for the 35-year-old Sydneysider, who had last played for Delhi nine years ago at the end of a successful four-year spell.
But when they were put in to bat, Warner struggled for 12 balls while seeing only a third of the strike before he was eventually put out of his misery after an unconvincing 42-minute stay, caught at backward point trying to force the issue.
At the other end, Shaw seemed to be playing a completely different game as he pummelled 61 of their 67-run partnership and rarely has the hard-hitting Australian left-hander been so totally overshadowed by a fellow opener.
Warner was eventually trapped by Ravi Bishnoi, who sent down a wide one which he stretched for and steered straight into the hands of Ayush Badoni - the third time in the space of six balls the 21-year-old spinner has nabbed the Aussie's wicket in T20s.
It was not the return Warner, the fifth highest scorer in the history of the IPL, had been looking for after his time at Sunrisers Hyderabad had ended on a sour note when he was dropped from the captaincy, the team and the squad last season.
He seemed to have lost his rhythm by the time Shaw departed first in the eighth over following his dazzling knock off 34 balls, which included nine fours and two sixes.
Lucknow's Aussie paceman Andrew Tye got smacked for 28 off his three overs but the excellent Bishnoi grabbed 2-22 to help restrict Delhi to 3-149.
That never looked enough as South African Quinton de Kock powered the Super Giants' reply, cracking 80 off 52 balls as Lucknow finished on 4-155.
Still, they only managed to win with a couple of balls to spare, with the 22-year-old Badoni hammering the winning six over extra cover off Shardul Thakur.
It was a third successive win for new franchise Lucknow, who have former Australia allrounder Andy Bichel as their bowling coach, but a second straight defeat for the Ricky Ponting-coached Capitals.
