David Warner to return home injured in brutal end to India debacle
The veteran opener's India series has been a debacle and is now over.
David Warner's India tour has come to an end, with the struggling opener set to fly home after being ruled out of the third Test. Following scores of one and 10 in the Border-Gavaskar series opener, Warner fell for 15 in the first innings in Delhi, before being ruled out of the remainder of the Test with concussion.
Australia succumbed to a horror 9-48 collapse in the second innings to see India comfortably retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy. However, in a tough blow to the 36-year-old opener, Warner has been officially ruled out of the third Test with a fractured elbow and will return home to recover.
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Despite returning home to heal during the series, Warner is expected to fly back and take part in the One Day International series against India following the Tests.
"David Warner has been ruled out of the Qantas test tour of India and will return home," Cricket Australia said in a statement. "Warner was struck on the elbow in the second Test in Delhi and sustained a hairline fracture.
"After further assessment, he will require a period of rehabilitation which will preclude any further involvement in the remainder of the Test series. It is currently anticipated that he will return to India for the three One-Day Internationals which follow the Test Series."
Unfortunately for Warner, there has been growing calls for him to lose his spot at the top of the order after an extended run of low scores. Warner scored a double century against South Africa at the MCG at the end of last year.
However, other than the double century, Warner's most recent scores read 15, 10, 1, 10, 3, 0, 28, 21, 48, 5, 24, 5, 10* and 25. Warner's average in India is 21.78 and he is now under more pressure than ever to hold his spot. The biggest issue against replacing him is the lack of viable candidates to open the batting.
But, the stark reality for Warner is that Travis Head made more in one innings batting at the top for Australia - in his absence after the concussion - than Warner has in three knocks this series (26).
Question marks will now be asked of Warner's participation in the Ashes. Warner has never enjoyed a lucrative time against England with the swinging ball and there is a chance the batting great may have played his last Test match.
Josh Hazlewood to fly home from India
The Aussies continue to cop more blows during the India tour with captain Pat Cummins returning home after Australia's six-wicket loss in Delhi because of a serious family illness, but is expected to return for the third Test in Indore. He's also been followed home by fellow quick Josh Hazlewood, who's flown back to Sydney after battling to overcome a persistent achilles injury.
Hazlewood missed the first two Tests with the injury, but had hoped to be able to recover in time to take part in the series. However, Australia have now accepted their fast bowler will not recover before the series is over.
Bowling allrounder Ashton Agar and out-of-form batter Matt Renshaw (who fell for two runs after coming in as Warner's concussion sub in Delhi) will possibly leave the Australian camp if the hierarchy decide they are definitively not in their plans for the third and fourth Tests.
Australia now have another selection headache ahead of the third Test as Cummins' men aim to at least draw the series in India.
with AAP
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