David Warner set to be assessed by medical staff ahead of ODI series against India - Reports
Australian opening batter David Warner will require a medical clearance to feature in the upcoming three-match ODI series against India, beginning on March 17. The southpaw's Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign was cut short after he sustained a hairline fracture as well as a concussion during the second Test in Delhi.
He returned home and was replaced by Matt Renshaw for the remainder of the Test, which Australia proceeded to lose, conceding the Border-Gavaskar series in the process as well.
Warner completed his final set of rehabilitation sessions before leaving for India for the ODI series and the subsequent Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season.
Eight members of the Australian ODI squad arrived in India on Friday, March 10, and trained with players already part of the Test and ODI squad in Ahmedabad, where the fourth and last Test was played.
Warner, on the other hand, reported directly to Mumbai on Monday, March 13. He will be assessed by the team's medical staff, who will also observe him batting in the nets before a call is taken on his participation in the upcoming series.
A team spokesman told The Age:
“They will look at Dave in Mumbai for game one and make a call from there."
The Australian squad will be led by Steve Smith, with Pat Cummins choosing to opt out of the ODI series following the demise of his mother.
"We’ll see Dave back in Australian colors on the 17th and we’ll go from there" - Andrew McDonald optimistic over Warner's progress
While Warner's future in whites hangs in the balance after a disappointing series against India, he is still revered as a crucial player in the ODI setup.
The Aussies are in a bit of a transition phase after Aaron Finch announced his retirement from the 50-over format in September 2022.
David Warner is back in India for the ODIs and "fully" in Australia's plans for the WTC final #INDvAUS
cricket.com.au/news/david-war…
Since then, Australia have played only one ODI series, against England, right after the T20 World Cup 2022.
Stating that he expects Warner to play all the ODIs against India, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said:
“He’s recovered from his injury, so we’ll see Dave back in Australian colours on the 17th and we’ll go from there."
Team India, devoid of Rohit Sharma for the first ODI, will take on Australia at the Wankhede Stadium on March 17.
The remaining ODIs are scheduled to be hosted by Vishakapatnam and Chennai.
Will the opening batter be fully fit in time for the ODI series against India? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: "That is not good for the fans out there. ICC, wake up, please" - Brad Hogg on the WTC final being contested after 2023 IPL