'If he doesn’t make runs...': Brad Hogg gives his take on Warner’s form ahead of The Ashes

Why you're here: Australia beat India in the WTC Final 2023 at the Oval after displaying sheer dominance over the Asian giants. They thrashed them in the final by 209 runs, and after a solid performance by the team, they will be heading towards the Ashes 2023 to face England this Friday at Edgbaston, UK. The Australian opener and former captain David Warner didn't perform to his best in the ICC WTC Final. His first innings were pretty decent as compared to his other innings on the other days; he made 43 runs in 60 balls against India on Day 1. He failed to deliver half of it in the second inning and only made 1 run in 8 balls. The former captain was heavily criticised for his performance, and his place in the team for the Ashes in 2023 was questioned.

3 Things you need to know

• David Warner has 8202 runs out of 189 innings in the Test cricket
• David Warner is 5th in most runs made by an individual in an inning, with 335 runs in a single Test inning
• Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg makes a huge statement on Warner’s WTC 2023 performance

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What did Brad Hogg say about David Werner?

Former Australian bowler Brad Hogg opiened that the 36-year-old opener, David Warner, should not continue playing for Australia if he fails to perform in the Ashes starting on June 16, 2023. However, the management has shown support to the former captain even after a poor performance against India in the second innings, but the players' performances is under review. 

Hogg made a huge statement by sharing his opinion on Australia's squad on his YouTube channel. He stated: “Warner has been struggling over the last year or two. There are big question marks on him. I’ll only give him a couple of test matches. If he doesn’t make any runs early on, I’ll have to make a change there,” 

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Hogg went on to highlight, how crucial it was for Warner to take advantage of his opening-season opportunities (especially the WTC Final 2023). Hogg questioned Warner's current form and said he would only give him a few Test matches after highlighting his problems over the previous year or two. Hogg thinks a lineup adjustment will be required if Warner doesn't score runs right away. Warner's struggles are evident from his numbers since the beginning of 2021, which include 958 runs in 20 Tests at an average of 29.03 and just one century.

Who does he think is the best batsman in Australia?

In addition, Hogg acknowledged that the formidable challenge posed by Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, both of whom have impressive records in English, was a major reason that India could not chase them in the WTC Final. In spite of Travis Head's heroics during the World Test Championship (WTC), he said that he is the best batsman in Australia currently, but Hogg is uncertain about his consistency. England would need Ben Stokes, fully fit and capable of bowling short, sharp spells, to exploit Head's vulnerability to the short ball. The Ashes series is expected to feature a crucial battle between Stokes and Head, who struggles with deliveries aimed at his body.