Warner goes back to the type of bats he began with

BANGALORE: In a set of new rules, effective for series beginning from September 28, the ICC stipulated that the size of bats be reduced.  Now, the thickness of the edge cannot be more than 40mm and the thickness of the bat must not exceed 67mm.

David Warner, whose bat has often been brought up as an example of batsmen having it easy in the modern era, has already complied with the new regulations, though he could have completed the tour of India with his soon-to-be-oversized bats.“Well, my bats have already been changed,” Warner said in Bengaluru on the eve of the fourth ODI against India.

“I’ve been using them for the last couple of weeks. In Bangladesh, getting used to it. It basically is the same bat that I started my career with. So I just basically took it down to my bat-maker and said, ‘We just got to go back to what we started with’. And it didn’t really affect me then, so I don’t think it’d affect me now. “

Would the fact that he has to contend with a reduced sweet spot not play on his mind when he’s trying to clear the boundary? “I think everyone’s sort of been misled in a way where they think the big bats clear the fences easier than the old bats used to,” Warner said.

“From where I stand on it, basically, we were hitting sixes with the bats five-six years ago and still hitting sixes today. So in theory, in saying that, your bat’s got more moisture in the wood. “The bats broke probably a lot more recently because there’s less moisture in the bat. So at the end of the day, you obviously have to use what you’re given and it’s not going to make a difference at all.”

As a result, we have an interesting little coincidence. Warner will be playing his 100th ODI on Thursday, wielding a bat similar to the ones he used when he first broke into the scene. The achievement filled him with pride, considering he started as a T20 basher, and he pointed to a change in mind-set about 18 months ago that helped him crack the 50-over format.

From his debut in January 2009, he averaged a modest 37 over his first 71 matches, with only five centuries. Back then, he thought he only had to give the team a fast start and then go cool off in the dressing room.

Since March 2016, however, Warner has begun to understand his role better, and it has led to a stark rise in his numbers. Warner has amassed eight centuries in 28 innings, he has been unbeaten twice, and he is still scoring at over a run a ball.

“Playing Test cricket’s allowed me to actually nurture my game in the 50 overs and take a bit more time and try and bat through the middle period as well,” he said. Finding the skill to adapt his game to the longer formats has given Warner a great sense of comfort, and he looked forward to becoming one of only 28 Australians to the mark of 100 ODIs.

Considering the amount of time he has been around, this is Warner’s first ODI series in India, and it’s been a surprising experience.