Warner slams 'very, very poor scheduling' of India tour
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Australian opener David Warner has slammed the poor scheduling that will lead to Australia playing a T20 match at home a day before their first Test in India. He has also said that he will not give any excuse during the upcoming tour of India despite having a not-so-good record in the subcontinent.
Australia will play the first Test of the series against India on February 23, while another Australian team will play an international T20 against Sri Lanka at home on February 22. David Warner, who has been a vital cog in both sides, has revealed that he is miffed with the scheduling.
"For me, it's about going out there and playing the game and not worrying too much about that," he said. "In saying that, it is very, very poor scheduling. To have your Test team going away to play a Test match and one-dayers overseas, it doesn't make any sense to us. I don't like it."
Warner told Fox Sports.Â
David Warner had a poor tour to India during the side's humiliating series whitewash in 2013. He had also struggled in Sri Lanka last year averaging just a shade over 27 when Australia
He said, "My first experience over in India back in 2013, the wickets were difficult and challenging. Now, there is no excuse. I've had the experience over there. I've played IPL over there. The wickets will be a bit different from the IPL, but the training facilities and the heat will be the same. I know what I'm going to get now and what to expect.”
"It was a tough time in Sri Lanka. We weren't good enough there and didn't bat long periods," he added. "Our batting unit needs to bat 150 overs. If we do that, we will post some good totals."
After a lackluster performance against South Africa in the home summer, Australia made a fantastic comeback by winning the Test series against Pakistan. However, Warner admitted that the tour of India would be a difficult series for the team.
"India is so important on their home soil. England played very well with the bat and the ball and just weren't good enough," he said. "That's how good India is in its own backyard. It's about going there with the game plan. If plan A doesn't work then it's important you have plan B. It can be tough times in India.
“They have slow pitches and little things can become big things if you don't address them straight away," he added. "It will be tough, we know that. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Warner also said that stopping Indian skipper Virat Kohli would be a challenge for the Australian team.
"We all know he's a fantastic player in all three formats. I think he's the only batsman in the world to average over 50 in T20s, one-dayers, and Tests," he said. "We need to go about our business and doing what we do best. There is no need to target anyone. He is a good player. We will let him play his way and we will do our thing and beat them like that," he concluded.
