Former India batsman VVS Laxman has applauded swashbuckling Australian opener, David Warner, for his stunning performances with the bat in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE. In his column for The Times of India, Laxman shared that while Warner had a slow start in the tournament, he had found his form at a critical juncture to help his team win their maiden T20 title.
Laxman wrote: “David Warner showed exactly why he is one of the true greats of white-ball cricket. He didn’t start the World Cup well, but by the end, he was firing on all cylinders, turning the clock back and taking the bowlers from the world go.”
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However, the latest edition of the Indian Premier League saw a pretty poor show for Warner. Apart from losing the captaincy of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he also lost his place in the playing XI during the second phase of the season in the UAE as well. Many doubted his form but he bounced back and won the Player of the Tournament for scoring 289 runs from seven matches as well.
“They grew from strength to strength and saved their best for last, with a commanding all-round performance that New Zealand were powerless to counter. This wasn’t the kind of dominant run we had witnessed from the Aussies at the beginning of the 2000s. They started slowly, with a hesitant win against South Africa, and were soundly beaten by England,” VVS Laxman concluded.
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After the win, David Warner said: “Always felt really well. Didn’t get much time in the middle in the two practice matches obviously. But for me it was about going back to basics. Going to hard, synthetic wickets and try to hit some balls. Definitely up there with 2015. Being part of the World Cup final against England a decade ago definitely hurt. These guys are a great bunch of guys. Great support staff, great team, great support back home. Just wanted to put on a great spectacle for everyone. Bit of nerves around with a good score on the board. Just great to see the guys deliver.”
