Australia opener David Warner returned to the playing XI for the first time since suffering a concussion in the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy match in February 2023. Warner had flown back to Australia in the middle of the tour after injuring his elbow and being concussed in the second Test match. The batter was expected to be fit for the first two ODIs of the series, but he was not selected.
“We are gonna have a bat. Looks like quite a dry surface, it is pretty hot out here. Will look to put a good total on this surface. We have had good fun and it will be exciting in the decider. We love playing in the crunch games and it’s exciting. It’s dry, so Ashton Agar is back. David Warner is back and Cameron Green is feeling unwell, so there are changes,” Smith said in Chennai.
Previously, it was assumed that with Warner returning to the playing XI, Travis Head would have to bat down the order due to the veteran’s (Warner’s) top form as an opener.
However, team Australia surprised fans when David Warner was not seen stepping out to bat, as the visitors hope to maintain their decision following the successful partnership of Marsh-Head in the second ODI.
Mitchell Marsh, who scored 80 runs in the first match in Mumbai, quickly added another fifty. Marsh scored 66 runs off 36 balls, while his opening partner Travis Head contributed 51 runs off 30 balls.
This means David Warner will be included in the playing XI but will play a different role, and more importantly, this will be Warner’s final batting order before the ICC 50-over World Cup 2023.