Warner identifies flaw in Bancroft’s batting technique leading to struggles in Tests

New Delhi: Retired Australia opener David Warner believes opener Cameron Bancroft’s planted front foot while batting against pacers is a technical flaw which will lead to him struggling against India’s bowling attack in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bancroft, who played ten Tests so far, has been the leading run-getter in last two seasons of the Sheffield Shield and has been seen as the leading candidate to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, starting on November 22 in Perth.

But Bancroft, 31, hasn’t set the scoreboard alight by registering scores of 0, 0, 8, 2, 0 and 16 in the ongoing Sheffield Shield and Australia A series against India A. “There’s no air speed at the moment in Shield cricket, and you’re playing at venues that don’t bounce. With Cameron Bancroft, his foot’s still out to point. If someone was bowling 145km/h, he’s still going to make the same mistake.

“In my eyes, it’s about his front foot being pointed out to point. When there’s faster air speed, when the bowlers are bowling faster, he’s going to get rolled through, LBW or he’ll get caught in the slips cordon. He had that trouble when he was playing for Australia,” said Warner on Fox Sports.

Asked on who should open the batting alongside Khawaja, Warner named South Australian captain Nathan McSweeney, who made scores of 39 and 88 not out in the seven-wicket win over India A in the first four-day game at Mackay.

He will be in action when Australia A face India A for the second red-ball game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from Thursday. “McSweeney’s a talent. They can run the gauntlet with him opening the batting. I know he bats No. 3 for South Australia, but I think there’s leadership qualities there as well,” he added.

Warner signed off by saying his comments around making himself available for Australia’s Test side were ‘taken out of context’. “My comment was only if my phone rang and they called me and if they asked, you’re not going to say no. You’re not going to turn down a game for Australia. I think a lot of it got taken out of context by some people but it is what it is. If I was to get a call, why wouldn’t I say yes?”