Australia opener David Warner has been ruled out of the first Test against India in Adelaide with an adductor muscle injury. He will target a return in the second game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Warner acquired the injury while fielding in the second ODI against India and was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of that series as well as the T20Is.
The 34-year-old, however, is hopeful of a return midway through the Test series. “I feel I have made great progress in a short amount of time and it’s best for me to stay here in Sydney to continue working on getting back to full fitness,” he said on Tuesday, 8 December.
“The injury feels a lot better, but I need to be able to satisfy in my own mind and to my team-mates that I’m 100 per cent ready for Test match conditions. That includes running between the wickets and being agile in the field. Right now I feel I am short of being able to play at peak fitness and another 10 days will make a difference.”
Warner was in great form before the injury, notching up scores of 69 and 83 in two ODIs. He has also had a good time in his recent red-ball games, with three centuries in his last five Test matches. Two of them also include massive knocks of 154 and 335* against Pakistan last year.
Australia head coach Justin Langer was full of praise for the batsman, saying he’s a player who goes “above and beyond” for the side.
“He has done an incredible job to get to where he is today and we hope to have a fully fit David Warner at his absolute best in Melbourne,” claimed Langer. “If there is one guy you know will go well above and beyond that’s Dave.”
The day/night Test in Adelaide begins on 17 December. Australia and India are first and second on the ICC World Test Championship standings.
