"Everyone is allowed to have a bit of lack of form" – David Warner in support of Steve Smith

Australia opener David Warner has backed Steve Smith, saying that everyone is allowed to go through a slump in form. He stressed that Smith still averages over 60, and that his lean patch is not because of a lack of preparation.

Steve Smith has so far managed scores of 1, 1*, 0, and 8 in the opening two Tests of the ongoing four-match series. His recent lack of form saw the 31-year-old register a duck for the first time since 2016. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has overtaken him to the summit of the ICC Test batting rankings.

David Warner also spoke about his own dismal performance in the 2019 Ashes series, where he only scored 95 runs at a measly average of 9.5 in 10 outings.

“Steve Smith has been recently knocked off by Kane Williamson as best batter in the world but if you look at his numbers, he still averages over 60. Everyone is allowed to have a bit of lack of form and I saw that myself when I was in England (2019 Ashes)," David Warner said during a virtual press conference on Saturday.

“On a day, if you have your name on that delivery, it is what it is and you can’t do anything about it. As you can see that it’s not due to lack of preparation as the guy (Steve Smith) doesn’t get out of nets. He works off his backside all the time,” he added.

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‘It’s about going out there and playing your shots,’ says David Warner

David Warner (L) chatting with skipper Tim Paine (R) during the latest nets session

David Warner, who suffered a groin injury in the second ODI, has been added to the Test squad for the final two Tests against India. Commenting on his own playing style, the 34-year-old revealed that pre-meditated attacks and showing intent have been his mottos throughout the 84 Tests he played.

“My 84 Test matches have always been about pre-meditated attacks and it doesn’t change for me but it’s about how the team looks at it. When I talk about intent, I mean by putting pressure back on the bowlers, not just by swinging the bat," David Warner elaborated.

“There are other ways of showing intent which could lead them into bowling those odd full-pitched balls and short-of-length balls which you can pull or cut. That’s what I talk about when I talk about putting pressure on bowlers. It’s about going out there and playing your shots,” he added.

The ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy is level at 1-1 after India's emphatic 8-wicket win in the Boxing Day Test. Australia will be glad to have David Warner for the remaining two Tests in Sydney (Jan 7-11) and Brisbane (Jan 15-19).