Leeds: David Warner struggled at Headingley, according to former Australia cricketer Ian Healy, but he wants the seasoned batsman to open alongside Usman Kahwaja for the fourth Ashes Test, which will be contested at Old Trafford in Manchester starting on July 19.
Australia lost the third Test at Headingley by three wickets after Warner was removed for 4 and 1, both times being caught by Zak Crawley in the slips.
“What he put out at Headingley wasn’t good enough,” Healy said.
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“He was jumping around, he was unstable at the crease and he was distracted by the crowd. It wasn’t good enough and we need better because he’s putting Marnus (Labuschagne) and Steve Smith under way too much pressure.
“Marnus has been like an opener, and he spends a lot of energy getting to 20 and 30, then he’s getting himself out too.”
Healy doesn’t want Matt Renshaw or Marcus Harris to be play in the heated Ashes series and is hopeful that Australian team managent will stick with David Warner.
“I don’t want to throw a newbie, whether it be Marcus or ‘Renners’, into that team in that Ashes furnace, he said.
“David Warner is in with the team that has got to get this Ashes done.”
Given his performance at Headingley, David Warner's status in the Australian XI and his suitability to open the batting for the final two Tests of the ongoing Ashes have come into question. Warner’s series numbers read: 9, 36, 66, 25, 4 and 1 for 141 runs at an average of 23.5.
“My gut-feel with Dave is he always had a two-Test buffer,” Fleming said.
“So he can fail in one Test, but if he fails in two he’s gone.
“He’s been pretty good up until Headingley. His batting at Lord’s was actually sensational. He and Usman on that first morning, we could have been four or five down at the first session.
“But we’re 2-1 up and have to win.”
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