Prior to the WTC final, Rahul Dravid said of David Warner, “He wouldn’t have played a hundred times if it were that easy.”

India will compete in the World Test Championship Final at the Oval beginning on June 7. The team coached by Rahul Dravid, which won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this year by defeating Australia, will face the same team in the WTC final. Notably, India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home with a 2-1 victory led by Rohit Sharma.

In the meantime, India’s coach Dravid is conscious of the threat posed by David Warner and is aware that his squad must get off to a quick start in order to counter Australia’s explosive start in the WTC final. Warner has amassed 8,158 runs at an average of 45.57 in 103 Tests at the age of 36, making him one of the best openers of his generation. Prior to the WTC final and the Ashes, he has scored just one century in his last 32 innings.

Warner is an elite performer: Rahul Dravid

In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year, Indian bowlers made life challenging for the Australian opener, with Warner scoring just 26 runs in three innings of the two Tests he played before sustaining an injury in Delhi.

He returned to Australia amid demands for his dismissal, with his team position in jeopardy. However, the Australian selectors have shown faith in him by selecting him for the WTC final and the first two Ashes Tests. While Dravid hopes India will be able to keep Warner quiet, he is cognizant of Warner’s ability to thwart India’s strategies.

“He (Warner) is a first-rate athlete. It is not as straightforward as showing up, bowling around the wicket, and dismissing him. If it were that straightforward, he would not have played one hundred times. There is no longer any place to conceal, as everyone has access to similar information about one another, Dravid told the press.

“It’s all in how you respond. David has been quite successful as a batsman, despite the fact that he has strengths and weaknesses in certain areas. We are aware that it is a crucial wicket to take early on,” he added.