'It's going to aggravate me for the next six to nine months' - David Warner opens up on his groin trauma

Australia’s aggressive opening batsman David Warner revealed that he is yet to completely recover from the groin injury he had suffered while playing against in the second One Day International of the three-match series at Sydney Cricket Ground in November 2020. After sustaining the injury, Warner had to give the last ODI of the marquee series a miss followed by getting ruled out of the three-match T20I series against India, which the Men in Blue comfortably won by 2-1.

Warner didn’t feature in the first two Tests of the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, that had commenced from December 17 in Adelaide. However, after Australia failed to find a competent opening pair, Warner made a comeback in the third Test at SCG and registered scores of 5, 13, 1 and 48 across four innings and two games.

With Warner not completely fit to take the field, it is yet to be seen if he would be able to play for New South Wales over the next month before heading to India for participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the captain of franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

You have just got to teach your brain to not worry about the pain : David Warner

Speaking about his fitness, Warner revealed that it would take him approximately six to nine months to regain his full fitness. The opening batsman further added that he had a chat with a few people who have suffered similar problems in the past and they advised him to train his brain to not think about the injury.

“I am almost back to full 100% sprinting in a straight line. This next week is getting back to fielding, picking up, throwing, very difficult that was [in the] last couple of weeks, even trying to throw,” Warner said during Fox Cricket’s coverage of the first T20I in Christchurch.

“Now it’s all about lateral, 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.

“I have spoken to a few people that have actually had that type of injury and they have just said it’s a niggle. 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,” David Warner added.