"I'd be inclined to stick with David Warner" - Ricky Ponting insists Australia stick with struggling opener for 4th Ashes Test

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting suggested that the visitors should play opener David Warner for the remainder of the Ashes despite his lack of form. After looking in decent touch in the opening two games, Warner's demons against his nemesis Stuart Broad resurfaced in the third Test at Headingley.

Broad dismissed the southpaw in both innings for dismal scores of four and one, making it a resounding 17th time in Tests that Broad has got the better of Warner.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, Ponting said:

"When someone's got you out 17 times, it does become as much a mental or probably more of a mental battle than it does a technical battle. But just thinking about the series, I'd be inclined to stick with David Warner."

Despite boasting backup batters Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw in the reserves, the former World Cup-winning captain felt a lack of any match practice for them should tilt selection in favor of David Warner.

"With the lack of tour games for Australia, it doesn't just hinder the guys that are out of form, but it actually hinders the other guys that are trying to push for a place into the side because they're just batting in the nets every day and they're not getting any match practice either," Ricky Ponting continued.

Ponting also admitted that the Ashes still being on the line makes it harder to bring fresh faces into the lineup.

"If you're going into the fourth Test match of an Ashes, with the Ashes on the line, do you bring a Marcus Harris or a Matt Renshaw in that simply haven't played a game of cricket for…I don't know how long since they've played a first-class game?" Ponting added.

"Even if you did make the change, you'd be making a pretty courageous call to bring someone in that hasn't been in the line-up," he further stated. "Right now I'm probably more inclined to give David another opportunity and hope that he can get through Stuart Broad and go on and make a big score."

David Warner scored his only half-century of the year in the second Test at Lord's and contributed to Australia's successful run chase in the first Test with 36.

However, the 36-year-old has still scored just 141 runs in the three games of the Ashes series at a pedestrian average of 23.50.

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"Like to see him show that real bulldog fighting spirit that he's got" - Ricky Ponting on David Warner

Warner has displayed great resolve in a couple of innings this English summer.

Ricky Ponting urged David Warner to display more grit and fighting spirit in the upcoming games to reinvent his best batting form in Test cricket.

Despite averaging a horrendous 18.41 with the bat in seven Tests this year, the dashing opener made a few solid contributions during the English summer that have contributed to the team's success.

Warner scored a vital 43 in the first innings of the WTC final against India under difficult batting conditions and also played a couple of crucial knocks in the opening two games of the ongoing Ashes.

"I'd like to see him go the other way. I'd like to see him show that real bulldog fighting spirit that he's got. I think like he showed in the first innings of the World Test Championship, like he showed in the first innings at Lord's where he made runs there," said Ponting.

The former Australian skipper felt if Warner could display more gerth and steel early in his innings, a big score could be just around the corner.

"I'd like to see him get back to that and if he gets back to that, I think with the way that I've seen him start in a couple of his innings, I honestly do feel a big score is just around the corner for him," added Ponting.

David Warner has scored just a lone century in 23 Tests since 2021, with a batting average of 28.

It will be interesting to see if Australia stick with the experienced opener for the fourth Test in Manchester, starting July 19.