“I think it’s a sign of a maturing player”: Ricky Ponting praises David Warner for playing despite an injury in Ashes 2021-22 Adelaide test

Ashes 2021-22: David Warner scored a brilliant knock of 95 runs in Adelaide despite being injured, Ricky Ponting has praised him.

David Warner is the highest run-scorer of D/N tests, and he proved his dominance again in Adelaide. Although he missed his century by 5 runs, but he played an outstanding knock. Warner missed his hundred in the Brisbane test as well.

The last three months have been outstanding for David Warner. He won the Man of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup, whereas he has been outstanding so far in the Ashes. Courtesy of Warner’s knock, Australia finished Day one in Adelaide at 221-2. It was being said that Warner can miss his game, but he played the game despite an injury.

Ashes 2021-22: Ricky Ponting praises David Warner for playing despite an injury

David Warner suffered a rib injury in Brisbane, but he played the Adelaide test despite the pain. Ponting has revealed that Warner said to him that he does not want to waste any more time.

“I spoke to Davey before the game and he said he wasn’t going to miss it,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.

“The first thing he said to me was, ‘Mate I missed two games last year and I’m not missing anymore this year’.

“He was in some discomfort but the longer he batted, the better he seemed.

“(Playing through pain) is something you expect from an Australian cricketer.

“His ribs are not broken from what we can understand, he’s got some cartilage damage. He wore a big (chest) pad over it today and probably had a bit of assistance from the doc(tor).

“He didn’t go on and get a hundred, which I thought he deserved today.”

The Warner wicket in pictures #Ashes pic.twitter.com/2n0LgkQMtL

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 16, 2021

Warner did not bat in the 2nd innings of Brisbane, and he was scratchier there. David Warner took 20 balls to get off the mark in Adelaide, but then he got into his groove.

“He was scratchier in Brisbane that we’ve probably seen for a while, but that was to be expected with him not playing any Test cricket for a long time,” said Ponting.

“Although he was slower today, he didn’t make a lot of mistakes, which is a great sign.”

“I think it’s a sign of a maturing player who has had to change his game, mold his game to the conditions he’s confronted with and the bowlers he’s facing.”