We are here to play our best brand of cricket and to beat India: David Warner

Aussie opener David Warner has hailed Indian captain Virat Kohli and said that he is the best batsman at the moment across all three formats of the game. During an exclusive conversation with India today, Warner said that Kohli is a fantastic player and a great sport. Both have been in red-hot form in the last season or so and there forms would be crucial to their team’s success in the upcoming 4 match series starting from 23rd February in Pune.

Kohli has been in the form of his life and became the only batsman in Test history to smash 4 double centuries in 4 consecutive series when he scored 204 against Bangladesh in the recently concluded Test in Hyderabad. He has also led by example and his 19 matches unbeaten streak as a captain stands 3rd on the list just behind former captains Ricky Ponting and Clive Llyod. Warner said that he was not only in the form of his life but in the form of the last few decades.

“I am not going to say he is in the form of his life because it seems like he is in the form of the last decades, the way he is playing. You know he is a fantastic player a great sport. He is an exceptional player,” Warner was quoted as saying by India Today. Warner said that the tourists are here to win despite knowing India’ ruthless form in Test cricket of late.

“We do know that India is playing very good cricket and in their own backyard, they are exceptional. They crush teams. You look at the England series. England scored 400 to 500 runs. India always seems to have an answer. For us as an Australian cricket team, we have to respond better than that. We have to have a plan in place and if they are not in place you are crushed. We are here to play our best brand of cricket and to beat India,” said Warner.

Also read: Brad Hogg hails Ashwin-Jadeja as best spin duo in the world

But it won’t be an easy task for the visitors as they know very well how hard it will be to beat the visitors in their own backyard. Warner has urged the spinners on his side to raise their game and replicate what Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja has done for India over the last couple of years.

“With the ball, we need to take early wickets upfront. Wickets are going to turn. Spinners will have to put their hands up bowl long spells and take wickets. Ashwin and Jadeja are doing there for a long time in India. To take 20 wickets is going to be very challenging but we are up for that task. We have to prepare for that and we are definitely preparing for that,” Warner signed off.