SYDNEY: Australia opener David Warner has admitted the groin injury that kept him out of half of the Test series against India over the new year might still be causing him pain for another nine months.

The 34-year-old, who sustained the injury in a One-day International against India in November, missed the first two Tests against the tourists before playing partially-fit for the remainder of the series as Australia slumped to a 2-1 defeat.

The lefthanded batsman will be key to Australia’s hopes of retaining the Ashes when England tour at the end of this year but Warner said he might not be playing pain-free until just before that series.

“I am almost back to full 100% sprinting in a straight line,” he said while commentating on Australia’s first Twenty20 International against New Zealand on Monday. “This next week is getting back to fielding, picking up, throwing — very difficult that was, last couple of weeks, even trying to throw.

“Now it’s all about lateral [movement], running between wickets, building that up. It’s just the tendon that has got that slight tear in it now. It’s going to aggravate me for the next six to nine months but I am sure the medicos will help me out there.”

Warner, who is scheduled to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League in April, was selected for Australia’s Test tour of South Africa but that was later aborted because of health concerns.

He said he had spoken to other athletes who had suffered similar injuries.

“They have just said it’s a niggle,” Warner added. “You have just got to teach your brain to not worry about the pain and that it’s not going to happen again.

“It’s just getting back that confidence to sidestep and run as hard as I can and dive around again. Once I get that, I will be right to go. It’s just not 100% there yet.”

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2021