Australia’s vice-captain David Warner is confident he will be fit for the first Ashes Test on Thursday despite facing only two throwdowns in the nets on Tuesday after hurting his neck in a fielding drill.
Warner suffered the problem while running back and taking a high catch at the Gabba and immediately went for treatment from team physio David Beakley. Although he later emerged to bat in the nets, he faced only two throwdowns from batting coach Graeme Hick before withdrawing.
“My neck is quite stiff,” Warner said shortly afterwards. “I took a high ball out there and something just twinged in my neck. I’m getting a bit of physio treatment at the moment and hopefully it’s settled down over the next 24 or 48 hours.
“I’ll try and have a hit tomorrow at some stage. I might have to work on my technique a little bit more, facing up. It’s quite sore. I haven’t really had a stiff neck like this one. I’ll get some treatment tonight, and get some heat packs on there and get some fingers into it and hopefully it’s better tomorrow.”
Warner said he had decided against staying in the nets because he was unable to align himself properly due to the neck problem.
“It was more of an alignment thing,” he said. “I couldn’t align myself face-on with Hicky. So for me, if I’m not being able to face on him, there’s no point because I can’t angle myself and I’ll get into bad habits and that’s not how I want to train.”
However, Warner expects to be part of Australia’s XI on the first morning in Brisbane, where he will have a new opening partner following the selection of Cameron Bancroft to replace Matt Renshaw.
“No,” Warner said, “I don’t think a sore neck is going to keep me out.”
Source: ESPN Crickinfo