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Warner has 15 days to recover from broken thumb: Lehmann
Melbourne: Australia batsman David Warner has 15 days for his still broken left thumb to heal if he wants to be selected for the first cricket Test against New Zealand, coach Darren Lehmann said on Tuesday.
Lehmann said the injured opener has to play the opening round of the domestic Sheffield Shield tournament in order to be picked for the Test at Brisbane, which starts on November 5, reported cricket.com.au on Tuesday.
X-rays on Friday revealed Warner’s thumb to be still broken, four weeks after he was struck by a delivery from England’s Steve Finn.
Warner will have another x-ray this coming Friday and is hoping to test out the injured digit at the nets for the first time next Monday, nine days before New South Wales’ Shield match against South Australia gets underway on October 28.
Both Lehmann and Warner are confident the vice-captain will be fit for the day-night game at the Adelaide Oval, with the coach adding the match was an essential part of Warner’s preparation for the New Zealand series.
“I’m pretty sure he’d have to play,” Lehmann said.
“If he’s not going to play that he’s probably not going to be fit enough (for the first Test). Again, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it but all signs are he’s going to play.”
Lehmann said playing just the one Shield match would be enough for Warner to prove he’s ready for the first Test. “For him, yeah. He’s played a lot of cricket anyway,” Lehmann said.
“You’d love him to have a bit more time but we’re not too worried about it, especially with the way he plays.”
Selectors will decide on Australia’s squad for the first Test on October 29.
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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.