IPL 2021: "It's more challenging, especially after a layoff" - Shane Watson on David Warner's poor form

David Warner's poor form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season continued as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) succumbed to a defeat against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday.

Warner looked troubled by the searing pace of Anrich Nortje and ended up giving a leading edge to Axar Patel at point in the very first over for a four-ball duck.

Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson, speaking on The Grade Cricketer podcast, said that Warner is a bit rusty but backed him to bounce back when he gets some momentum going. Watson said:

"It’s more challenging, especially when you have a layoff like Dave did. He went into the Aussie summer last year having a break because of his injury. People expect you to just come in straight away and score runs but everyone gets rusty. Sometimes some people come in, like AB de Villiers, after having a break and just dominate like he usually does. But he’s a freak of nature."

Watson reckons that staying in bio-bubbles may be affecting Warner's performance, as it means he can't have his family with him when he travels for tournaments. Watson added:

"And Warner, his life has evolved. He is in a phase where he is a father of three and he is moving in and out of bubbles now so it is harder to bring your family along. The circumstances of his life have changed and his priorities have probably shifted a little bit."

Watson also added that being dropped as SRH captain may have affected Warner's game. He said:

"The Sunrisers setup, it seems as if there’s a bit going on in the background there. For Dave to get dropped as captain… even though you try and not let it affect your performance, there are these underlying things that have a bit of a negative impact on your ability to perform at times."

David Warner will bounce back: Shane Watson

Watson said the former SRH skipper is someone who thrives when his back is against the wall and feels that with a few games under his belt, Warner should bounce back strong. He said:

"Dave’s a true Aussie battler. He knows how to be able to come through in situations where he has his back against the wall. That’s what he has always thrived on. He’s definitely got a lot of incredible cricket in front of him. He just seems like he hasn’t been able to get some momentum. It might just take him a couple of games to find his feet, but he is so incredibly good, he will bounce back."

Warner was replaced as captain and then dropped from the playing XI during the first half of IPL 2021. However, with Jonny Bairstow unavailable for the rest of the season, Warner is back as SRH's opener alongside Wriddhiman Saha.

With the team languishing at the bottom of the table, SRH need the Aussie to find his form soon.

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