Australian opener David Warner has never played Test cricket in Sri Lanka, but already has a plan of attack for the country’s turning tracks.
Australia takes on Sri Lanka in a three Test series in July-August, and having toured the country as a part of the national squad in 2011, Warner believes an aggressive mindset is the way to go against the island nation’s spinners.
“It’s about giving yourself an opportunity to score,” Warner told cricket.com.au.
“I think we can get too bogged down in those situations, you lose your way of thinking and the remedy of that is you’ve got to try and score runs.
“If I’m looking to score then I’m in the right frame of mind.
“That’s always going to be my positive energy and intent and that’s always to look to score first and defend second.”
The opening batsman averages 36.16 in Asia compared to a career average of 50.06. However, he handled the spinners better than most Australians last time the team was on the continent, averaging 59.75 in the two Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. He was the only Australian to score a century that tour.
Notably, his strike rate that series was close to 80 (78.61), significantly higher than the 50.38 he scored at in Australia’s four Test tour of India in 2013, his only other Test experience in Asia. He only averaged 24.37 that series.
Steve Smith’s side will be banking on a big series from Warner as they look for their first Test series win in Asia since the 2011 tour of Sri Lanka, with their six matches on the continent since bringing six losses.
On top of battling a trial by spin, the team is up against a lack of experience in Asia, with Smith, Warner, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon the only players from Australia’s last Test squad to have played more than five Tests on the continent.
Six of the 14 players in that squad – Joe Burns, Adam Voges, Peter Nevill, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers – have not played Test cricket in Asia and only four – Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh and Peter Siddle – have played in Sri Lanka.
