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Australian batsman Warner ruled out of Bangladesh tour
Melbourne: Australian Test opener and newly-appointed vice-captain David Warner won’t be part of the Bangladesh tour due to a fractured left thumb, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Friday.
Warner sustained the injury while batting at Lord’s in the second One-Day International against England on September 5.
“It’s really disappointing. I never want to miss a match for Australia but I’ll be doing everything I possibly can to get back as quickly as possible,” left-hander Warner said in a statement.
The New South Welshman was reviewed by a hand specialist in Sydney yesterday (Thursday). Although he won’t require surgery it was determined that he will not recover in time for the tour but is expected to be fit for Australia’s home series against New Zealand in November, according to CA.
CA executive general manager of team performance Pat Howard said a thorough rehabilitation plan will be put in place for the powerful left-hander.
“David has been told that the fracture will take at least four weeks to stabilise and a further two weeks before he can start batting and catching again. He will be reviewed by the specialist at the end of the month to determine when he can resume playing,” Howard said.
“Ideally we’d like him to play the Sheffield Shield round beginning on October 27 as preparation for the New Zealand series. In the meantime he will begin a modified gym program in Sydney. He is naturally disappointed to be missing a Test tour, particularly his first as vice-captain of the Australian team.
“When the selectors meet over the coming days to choose the squad for Bangladesh, they will be asked to nominate a vice-captain for that tour.”
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.