Kolkata: Australian vice-captain David Warner (30) has been in terrific form recently and the newly released ICC ranking stands as a proof of that. Warner bagged the first position in the ICC ODI rankings, dethroning South African skipper AB de Villiers who now sits in the second position. Indian captain Virat Kohli is in the third position.
However, this sudden rise in Warner’s form may not go down well with the Indian cricket fans as Australia is all set to tour India. Having decimated Pakistan in both Tests and ODIs, the Aussies will land in India with confidence. To add to their worries, Australian skipper Steve Smith too has been in sublime form and has always loved to bat on the turning tracks in India.
If the batting area weren’t enough, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has been in phenomenal form off late and has once again jumped up to the second spot in the ICC ODI rankings, trailing Kiwi bowler Trent Boult by only 5 points. Josh Hazlewood also reached a career best 5th position in the rankings, courtesy his splendid performance in the Australia-Pakistan series.
Yes, India recently tasted success in the Test and ODI series against England, but what one must notice is the fact that it has always been Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who have been at the team’s rescue on most occasions. India’s last ODI defeat against England in Kolkata has exposed the loopholes in the team. The top order succumbed to the English attack and the Aussies do boast bowlers who can easily generate pace. On top of that, Warner and Smith have always been good hitters against spinners. Just a minute reminder, Smith has been the highest scoring Aussie against India and is currently sitting as the number one batsman in the ICC Test Rankings.
Warner, who just has been chosen as the best ODI batsman hasn’t really done justice to his qualities abroad. But the southpaw will be eager to do well under overseas conditions. India has a new captain and the MS Dhoni era is past. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and wait for the India vs Australia clash! One bets, it’s going to be a cracker of a Test series and the ODI success of Warner will only embolden him! And if he gets going, the Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper in the Indian Premier League (IPL) can be lethal! And let’s make no mistake, Warner is accustomed to Indian conditions.