'I can’t tell people how to bat': David Warner's straightforward reply on Prithvi Shaw and Co's struggle

Delhi Capitals skipper David Warner has urged the young Indian batters in his side to devise their own methods to counter express pace as it is a skill that can’t be taught.

Warner, DC’s leading run-scorer with 285 from six games, did the star turn with his fourth half-century that was largely responsible for his team’s first victory this IPL on Thursday night.

However, Indian batters have cut a sorry figure as Prithvi Shaw (47 from 6 games), Sarfaraz Khan (34 from 2 games), Yash Dhull (3 from 2 games), Aman Khan (30 from 4), Abhishek Porel (33 from 4 games) have all had issues against pace and spin.

“To be honest, we don’t have too many discussions as you have to back your skills and I can’t tell people how to bat. You have to actually work it out,” Warner was very straight in his reply when asked if he has had conversations with Shaw and company.

Technique is an individual aspect of anyone’s game.

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“If you have to face fast bowling and guys who are bowling 150 kmph, you got to have technique and method to score. If they keep coming at you and bowl into your rib-cage, you have to find a way how to score and if you can get one boundary, then they will start bowling into your areas,” said the Australia international and multiple World Cup winner.

Warner gave an interesting theory about playing the short ball.

“In the nets ,it is very difficult to practice (short pitched bowling) and even in Australia we don’t practice playing short balls. It’s my feeling that if you practice short ball all the time in the nets, you become tentative in match.

“It’s a reaction skill you have to remember. The bowler gets to bowl only one (short ball) max per over. That’s a good thing for batters.” Ditto for spinner Varun Chakravarthy, whom Warner played with ease but none of the younger Indian batters were able to read well.

“I don’t think a lot of guys were picking him (Varun) too well and some were trying to play him off backfoot. It’s a duty as a batter to go to team analyst and see what kind of deliveries he is bowling.

“To me it is simple. If the back of his (bowling) hand doesn’t go up in the air, it’s his carrom ball. Its very simple. If some of the batters aren’t picking him, they have to go back to analysts, study harder.”

DC vs KKR: Warner couldn’t accelerate as wickets fell in earlier games 

Warner had a strike-rate of around 116 in his five previous games and his 57 off 41 balls gave a glimpse of the batter everyone pays to watch.

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Asked what changed in his approach in KKR game, the skipper said: “It’s just that we didn’t lose three wickets in a row. There have been lot of critics out there who have suggested that I haven’t been batting the way I normally bat but when you lose three wickets in a row in two overs and I have just faced three balls, what can you do? “You got to have some sense of responsibility. Today, I felt my match-ups were there and I felt I can take on bowlers in PP and we didn’t lose wickets in clumps in first two overs. So that plays a big role as well."

DC vs KKR: Ishant played despite being sick

Veteran Ishant Sharma’s 2/19 in 4 overs with 13 dot balls was one of the main reasons for KKR not getting a start in Powerplay overs and skipper lauded his seniormost bowler. “He was sick before last game, where he was probably going to be playing. That was unfortunate as he had bit of fever and he couldn’t play. After the first game we played, it swung and seamed and he was definitely going to be in contention to play and other thing we need to think is Khaleel Ahmed, who is a very good new ball bowler.

“With Khaleel out, Ishant came in and bowled exceptionally well. We have to have a good hard think about what team we are going to go if Khaleel is fit. Credit to Ishant that he came out bed with his sickness and he bowled exceptionally well and that’s the depth we have with our bowling.”