Analysis: David Warner's struggle on Asian pitches in ODIs

David Warner has been the beacon of the Australian batting lineup along with Steven Smith since the last three or four years in all formats of the game. In fact, many scribes have considered his name while comparing the modern greats of the game like the young quartet of Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, Steven Smith and Joe Root along with AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla.

I jibe with them because there is no doubt in the fact that he is a modern day great. But what is the parameter for us to term someone great these days? A player who performs consistently on any kind of wicket and in any condition or situation, against every opposition, in every country and in all formats. The two parameters such as pitch and conditions aren’t usually considered while judging a player’s aptitude because ultimately it will be judged by his numbers and that will depict where the player stands among greats.

David Warner has found his mojo in ODI cricket in 2014 because he has performed consistently from thereon for Australia. However, he averaged 35.00 in 2012 in ODIs but the next year his average was just about 21. In 2014, he scored 406 runs at an average of 36.90. Of course, it is mediocre in this competitive arena but it played a pivotal role in taking him to the stage where he is placed now in international cricket by giving him that confidence and belief that he can perform in ODIs, too.

Following that year, in the next two years, his averages in ODIs were 54.33 and 52.00 respectively. But his performance in ODIs in Asia all throughout these years as an Australian opener, from his first ODI in 2012 against Afghanistan to the last completed second ODI against Sri Lanka, forced me to raise a question on his ability to bat in Asian conditions as he has scored just 211 runs from nine innings in Asia at an average of 23.44.

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David Warner’s performance in all continents in ODIs as an opener:

When a player from Asia goes to Australia, South Africa or England and performs well in those testing conditions then we call him a complete package just like Ajinkya Rahane and Younis Khan in Test cricket but when he does not perform up to his potential then it is obvious that critics will ask questions to selectors and the team management and the same can be said about the non-Asian players when they come to Asia.

Warner has an average of more than 30 in all continents barring Asia and the Australian selectors would have definitely considered these numbers before giving him captaincy when Steven Smith opted to take rest midway through the ongoing ODI series with a view to manage his workload.

It can go either way but we should hope that David Warner will lead from the front by scoring as many runs as possible in the remaining matches of the ODI series and will prove himself as a natural leader in international cricket. However, he has proved his credentials as a pioneer by taking Sunrisers Hyderabad to the title of the Indian Premier League for the very first time in their history earlier this year.

Australian openers in Asia in ODIs: (Min. 4 innings)

He will become a complete batsman only if he can perform well in Asian conditions as an opener and some Australian openers like Shane Watson and Matthew Hayden have achieved that feat in their ODI careers. If we compare David Warner’s performance with other Australian openers in Asia then he is at the bottom of the list in terms of batting average among Australian openers who have batted at least four times in Asia in ODIs.

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Two Australian openers named Shane Watson and Matthew Hayden have an average of more than 50 in Asia in ODIs while six others have an average of more than 35 in Asia in ODIs so this proves that it is not that much difficult to play in Asia in ODIs that David Warner’s numbers show unless and until you have a proper mindset and skill both of which he possesses and therefore this is the right time for him to make a statement and show the world that he is here to stay in the league of greats, and isn’t a mediocre player.

Generally, great openers try to lay a solid foundation by making big partnerships more often than not to take the game forward and David Warner also does exactly the same but only in Oceania, Americas and Europe. He has not had a single century partnership in Asia after playing nine ODI innings. While in Oceania he has nine century partnerships, more than any other continent. One should not disparage him by this fact but Warner should take a lesson from these numbers.

David Warner’s century partnerships in all continents in ODIs: (Min. 4 innings)

Non-Asian Teams’ openers’ batting averages in Asia in ODIs since 2014:

David Warner has to work hard to maneuver his status from ordinary to decent and great in Asia in ODIs because his struggle in Asia in ODIs is reflected on Australian team as their openers’ batting average is 22.90 from 10 innings since 2014 in Asia in ODIs, the worst among all non-Asian teams. South African openers have played well in Asian conditions and their average is 43.04 from 22 innings.

If Australia want to stay at the no.1 position in ODIs for a long time then Warner’s form is very crucial for them and he has all the earmarks of being a great but in order to achieve that tag he has to solve this quandary as soon as possible and hopefully he will not unnerve his fans from now on in Asia at least in Limited-Overs Internationals.

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