IND vs AUS 2023: Australia won’t become weaker despite David Warner’s absence, says Aakash Chopra

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reckons Australia won’t become a weaker side despite David Warner’s absence. Warner was ruled out of the remaining two Test matches against India after suffering a fractured elbow.

The southpaw had suffered the injury in the second Test match at Delhi. Furthermore, Warner was hit on the head and he was replaced by Matthew Renshaw as a concussion substitute.

However, Warner wasn’t in the best of forms in the recent past and he returned with scores of 1, 10, and 15 in the three innings he played in the ongoing series.

Furthermore, the visitors have been hit by injury woes as Josh Hazlewood has also been ruled out of the series. Moreover, Ashton Agar also returned home to take part in the domestic circuit. Australian skipper Pat Cummins has also gone back to Australia due to personal reasons but he is expected to be back for the third Test match.

“David Warner has gone back. He got injured in his arm and couldn’t play the last match (second innings) due to a concussion. They are saying it is a minor fracture and he is now not available for the third and fourth Tests. Does the opposition team become weak because of that?”

“It feels slightly odd to say that the team won’t become weaker despite Warner not being there. But the numbers we have seen from him in India, his situation in front of Ashwin and considering the kind of confidence he had, it seems it will not make any difference to the opposition team,” said Chopra on his YouTube Channel.

The renowned commentator feels Warner is in the twilight of his Test career but we might see him in the World Test Championship final in June.

“He has gone and I was reading somewhere, it could be wrong or it could be right, but there was an opinion that he is already in the twilight of his Test career and we don’t know how much longer we will see him play.”

“That will be an interesting one but this Border-Gavaskar Trophy is over for him. The two teams might play each other in the (World Test Championship) final – there is a possibility. Pat Cummins has also gone back but he will be back for the third Test match is what I have heard,” said Chopra.

The third Test match will be played in Indore from March 1.