David Warner’s final Ashes series of his career may not be going in the fashion he must have expected even as Australia have a resounding 2-0 lead in the contest against England. A trend that started in the 2019 series in England has continued for the Aussie opener as he has fallen victim to fast bowler Stuart Broad yet again, taking the tally to 17 times in his career, after he nicked one to Zak Crawley on Day 2 of the third Test at Headingley.
Warner was dismissed seven times by Broad in the 2019 Ashes series in England, after not managing a single dismissal against the bowler in the three previous contests. In the ongoing series, he has been dismissed three times already in five innings. The total of 17 dismissals is now the joint third-highest by a bowler against a single batter in Test history joining Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, both against Mike Atherton. The former England captain’s 19 dismissals against Glen McGrath still sits atop followed by Alec Bedser, who dismissed Arthur Morris 18 times.
Moments after the dismissal on Friday, Chris Broad, Stuart’s father, who is also an ICC referee, shared a post mocking Warner. In the picture, Warner’s head is transposed onto Bart Simpson’s body, who is writing over and over on the blackboard: “Stuart Broad has got me out again.”
Although he deleted the tweet soon after, but it had already gone viral by then creating a controversy given his position in ICC. While the apex body did not make any official remark on it, a source close to The Age revealed that ICC did reprimand the match referee and told him that it was an inappropriate act.
Irrespective of the social media scene, Warner has been struggling for runs for over 18 months now with his best show being a double century at the MCG against South Africa on his 100th Test. However, head coach Andrew McDonald defended the veteran batter.
“When you have an opening bowler bowling to an opening batsman, they are more likely to get them out with a new ball at times,” McDonald said. “I think the three 50-plus run opening partnerships that Usman and Dave have put on in the series have been telling and have had great impact. So not here to discuss David Warner at this stage.”
