Chennai: Confident about recovering from his thumb injury before the first Test against India, Australian opener David Warner said that he was quite sure about playing in Chennai.
 

"I'm confident of playing the first Test. I have had four long days of training. I have been hitting for an hour in the nets to make sure I middle the ball and to see if there is any pain if I go on. I have iced it after every training session. It's a little sour. But that's what happens after a break. I caught about 50 per cent and there was a slight pain. And I would be using a guard to protect my thumb in the Tests. So I am 100 per cent ready to go for the first Test.”

Talking about Australia’s weakness against quality spinners on turning tracks, Warner said, "It's important to come down the wicket and use the depth of crease. I would like to be on top of the bowlers and putting pressure. When you have close in fielder it's easier for me to hit sixes. But you have to respect the good ball."

Asked about Shane Watson's place in the team, Warner said, "We have been fantastic as a team in the past 12 months. We have played good cricket. I don't know why people are questioning some of our spots in the team. We won against India. We lost one day of 15 days of cricket against South Africa. We won against Sri Lanka. We are back here playing India and try to do the same what we did in Australia."

As far as opening the batting with Ed Cowan was concerned, Warner said they have developed a good understanding. "It's crucial to get runs of the new ball. We know that 100 for none is good enough than 100 for four like the other day. So we have set a goal to bat 30 overs among us top-order batsman me, Cowan and Phil Hughes."

Talking about Sachin Tendulkar, Warner said his team is aware of the destruction that he can cause in the upcoming series. "I think a guy who has got 25,000 first class runs is a legend. We are going to play against a champion player in his own backyard and that feeling in itself makes it so special. He is without a doubt a greatest player of all times," Warner said on Tuesday.

The Aussie said his team will have to be on their toes to avoid Tendulkar from piling up huge scores in this series, who will be turning be 40 on April 24.

"He can come out and score a hundred in the manner he likes. In last series at home, we did a bit of homework on how to tackle him. But here he would be playing in his own backyard. In these conditions we got to adapt or he would get on top of us. We got to be disciplined and execute our skills or else we would be punished,” said Warner stating that he has scored a 100 in Irani Cup and he still has the passion for the game.


“He was disappointed with the way the other batsmen got out and he shook his head. You don't get a batsman like him shaking his head. That’s what makes him so special the kind of hunger he has of piling up runs and for sure he is going to come out and show what he is. He doesn't need to prove anyone. He is going to make runs for India," he said.

Talking about Harbhajan Singh, who has troubled the Aussies in the past, Warner said, "I don't think there would be too much of chirping. We are good mates off the field. The IPL has brought in good balance between all players. In the field off course we are competitive. But there is a line that no one ever crosses. But you are going to get some banter from some of the guys and learn to cop that."