Australian opener David Warner feels skipper Michael Clarke moving up the batting order will provide a much-needed solidity to his team’s fragile top-order and turn their fortunes in the remaining two Tests.
“I just think it (Clarke coming up the order) will stabilise us a lot. Instead of losing three wickets we might only lose one wicket and rotate the strike more,” Warner said.
“It is about the top four knuckling down and scoring runs – that’s the main issue. If we can do our job right, there is no reason to reshuffle the order. I think that is the reason why (selectors) are thinking (about) it,” he added.
Clarke, who has looked the only Aussie batsman to have some clue about negotiating the Indian spin trio, has considered promoting himself to as high as number three for the third Test starting on Thursday in Mohali.
The current number three Phillip Hughes has been struggling against the Indian spinners (25 runs in four innings) and could have been replaced by Usman Khwaja before the Pakistani-born was axed from the side along with others on disciplinary grounds.
Warner, however, defended Hughes saying he will come good and just need the backing of the selectors. “Phil is in a patch at the moment where he isn’t scoring as many runs as he would like, but I’m sure if the selectors stick by him he will come good,” the explosive opener was quoted as saying by Australian media here.
“He is the type of player who always puts runs on the board, especially when he scores a hundred he scores a big hundred. It’s only a matter of time. “I just think it’s more of a time thing and being patient. I know personally I like to play shots so I have to hold back to not play any shots, but if I play shots with the ball turning away, that brings first and second slip [into play].
“If he keeps working hard on batting time and play with the spin, he will be fantastic, I reckon,” he said.