Quite funny when people talk about my form: David Warner
Dubai, Oct 29: Australian opener David Warner has said that people talking about his form is "quite funny", given that he has hardly played competitive cricket in the last few months, adding that he was "never worried about it" coming into the ICC T20 World Cup here.
On Thursday, Warner guided Australia to an emphatic seven-wicket win against Sri Lanka, scoring a 42-ball 65 as former T20 World Cup champions Sri Lanka were beaten with three overs to spare in their 'Super 12' game.
The opener had posted scores of 0, 2, 0, 1 and 14 heading into this match across various T20 levels but revealed after the game he thought talk of him being out of form was premature.
"I actually think people talking about my form is quite funny. I laugh at the matter," he said on Thursday evening. "I've played hardly any cricket. I had two games in the IPL and then warm-up games are warm-up games for a reason.
"(On Thursday) I had to obviously start fresh. Everyone was talking about my form, which I reiterated was not a thing I was worried about. It was about going out there and starting well. That's all we're trying to do, apply pressure to the bowlers," said Warner.
Warner, who turned 35 on October 25, said that his innings against Sri Lanka was not about silencing the critics. "Shutting the critics down? No, never," he said. "That's the world of sport. When you ride the highs, you've got to ride the lows; you've got to stay confident, keep a smile on your face and never let it get to you."
Warner enjoyed a slice of luck in the game when he was dropped on 18 off by Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kusal Perera. It was a 'life' he made the most of, smashing 10 fours before eventually perishing in 15th over with Australia needing only another 25 runs to win in 30 deliveries.
Warner was not the only batter in the runs, with captain Aaron Finch smashing a 23-ball 37 -- his best innings since returning from knee surgery.
"For us, it was really important to have a nice stable base, and seeing Finchy play straight down the ground and that nice back cut, that's nice and still. It means you're watching the ball. It means your weight is going through the ball. It's the same process with myself. You've got to have a nice stable base on these wickets.
"When people take pace off the ball, you've got to wait for the ball. When there's pace on it, then you can sit on it. "That was the key tonight, and I think he was really stable. Hitting the ball back over the bowler is always a very good sign of a player who's in nice touch."
If the pair of Warner and Finch stay amongst the runs, Australia will be firmly among the frontrunners for the trophy, a title they have never won. Australia now sit second in their group, behind England on net-run-rate. The two sides will meet on October 30 in Dubai, with the winner moving to the top of the table.
