"I’ve always found it difficult bowling to Davey" - Stuart Broad on David Warner
Veteran England seamer Stuart Broad has said that bowling to David Warner hasn't been as easy as it looks like. The right-arm seamer reckons the round-the-wicket angle has restricted the width Warner looks to pounce on.
The 37-year-old has had Warner's number 17 times in Test cricket after claiming him twice in the third Test at Headingley. Broad has now the opportunity to get Warner the most times in Ashes history, surpassing Glenn McGrath's 19 dismissals against Michael Atherton.
In his column for The Daily Mail, the new-ball bowler underlined that he bowls full to Warner, unlike before, to make the left-hander play.
"The truth is I’ve always found it difficult bowling to Davey, and I still do. By going round the wicket I’ve tried to minimise the width he loves outside off stump but also bowl a fuller length and make him play at 80 to 85 per cent of deliveries."
The two single-figure scores at Headingley have put Warner's spot under scrutiny for the remaining two Ashes Tests at Old Trafford and the Kennington Oval. Australia's coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins have cast doubt on the veteran's spot for the fourth Test.
"He used to sit back against me and hit me through the off side" - Stuart Broad
Broad recalled how then England's bowling coach Ottis Gibson urged him to find a way to restrict left-handers from scoring freely. Broad said about Warner:
"He used to sit back against me and hit me through the off side, and before the 2015 Ashes, our bowling coach Ottis Gibson pointed out that my average was much higher against left-handers.
"The Aussie team that season was full of lefties, and Ottis said I’d be out of the team if I didn’t find a way to bowl to them."
The Nottinghamshire seamer added:
"I spent four months practising round the wicket. I wanted to bring the stumps into play, while still threatening the outside edge. By the time I got to Trent Bridge eight years ago, I bowled round the wicket all the time - and picked up eight for 15."
The fourth Test starts on Wednesday (July 19) in Manchester.