Australia will stick with David for the World Test Championship (final) at The Oval – Mark Taylor

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Former Australia captain Mark Taylor has backed Warner to make the cut in the squad for the WTC final and the Ashes while Taylor also said that he would want to see right-handed opener Cameron Bancroft in the team

Former Australia skipper Mark Taylor has backed David Warner to play in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against India at the Oval in June and to also play in the initial stage of the Ashes 2023 in England.

Former Australia skipper Mark Taylor has backed David Warner to play in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against India at The Oval in June and to also play in the initial stage of the Ashes 2023 in England. 

Since the beginning of 2021, Warner has struggled in Test cricket, averaging below 39, and his performances have been ordinary, especially over the last two years.

Warner averaged 30.05 in 11 games last year despite scoring a double century (200) against South Africa in the Melbourne Test in December 2022, his only Test century since January 2020. Warner has scored just 36 runs at 9.00 in the three Test matches he has played this year.

Warner, 36, has previously shown interest in giving up Test cricket to focus on shorter formats, and his participation was considered doubtful for the next red-ball assignments for Australia, especially after his horrendous run in India with the bat.

However, former Australia captain and commentator Taylor has backed Warner to make the cut in the squad for the WTC final and the Ashes.

Taylor told AAP on Tuesday,

“If I am reading the tea leaves right, it sounds like they will stick with David for the World Test Championship (final) at The Oval. And if that’s the way Australia is thinking about the World Test Championship, then yes, they have to start with him for the Ashes.” 

Warner, though, has performed admirably for Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier League, scoring three half-centuries to make 228 runs in five games at 45.60 despite his recent struggles in red-ball cricket.

Taylor said that he would want to see right-handed opener Cameron Bancroft on the team. As captain, Taylor led Australia to 26 wins, 13 losses, and 11 draws in 50 Test matches.

“It would be very hard to have Usman Khawaja and Warner opens the batting and then changes a week later for the first Test at Edgbaston. In my old way of thinking, I always like a right and left-hander combination. So I would love to see Cameron Bancroft get another opportunity at the top of the order,”

Taylor said.

“I see (Matt) Renshaw has been making runs in New Zealand (for Australia A), but Bancroft has made a heap of runs in the Australian summer,”

Taylor added.

Taylor also highlighted that due to his ordinary fielding skills, opening batter Marcus Harris might not be preferred.

“One thing I do like about Bancroft, which I also like about Renshaw, is their ability to catch in the field. In the next year or two, we’re going to need to find two openers. The one thing that has worried me about Marcus Harris is his fielding.

“The way this series is looking like panning out, fielding is going to be crucial. I think that will go against someone like Marcus Harris, whose fielding is not great,”

Taylor explained.

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