JOIN US'India's fielding was ordinary'
David Warner, who put Australia in a strong position with his third century of the series, felt that the Indian bowling and fielding wasn’t up to the mark on the opening day.
“I think when you are not fielding at your best everything else doesn’t go in your favour,” he pointed out. “We saw Bucky got dropped in the second slip and towards the end (Watson got dropped). I think their heads were down. They also didn’t get their lines right, there was no swing or sideways movement. So at the end of the day you have got to dry the runs somehow. I know Virat will feel the same way. It’s frustrating when the bowlers bowl both sides of the wicket. It’s hard to captain I am sure,” he remarked.
Warner’s 101 capped another emotional day for the Australian cricketers here on Tuesday. "It's always going to be in the back of my mind and I'm always going to remember my little mate," Warner said after paying tribute to Phillip Hughes who was felled by a bouncer at this very pitch. "I thought it through my head to pay tribute to my mate and how to do that was how I did that today. Every time I play here I'll definitely be doing that,” remarked Warner who kissed the spot where Hughes had collapsed on November 25 during a Sheffield Shield match.
The southpaw admitted he was quite emotional before the start of the match. "I was quite emotional at the singing of the anthems. The little tribute there beforehand put those memories back in place, seeing that little smile up on the board before going out there and signing the national anthem was quite hard. I had a minute to myself when I came off before we went onto the field of play at the beginning of the day and I had my head in the towel.
"I had to dig deep and go out there and bat the way I know I can and try to clear my mind. It was tough but I got back out there on the horse as we should be. Putting up a double century partnership today with Bucky (Chris Rogers), our first one, we bat very well together, and I think that was probably the highlight of today for me."
Warner felt it was great of Hughes parents to be at the venue given how painful it could have been for them.