Hot shot Warner happy to rest for tough India test

Australia’s player of the year David Warner has welcomed a rest before touring India next month saying it’s tough preparing for sub-continental conditions. Warner, who won back-to-back Allan Border medals on Monday night, has been excused from the three one-day games in New Zealand starting next week after a hectic southern summer.
“We’re running ragged in the outfield we’re giving everything we can, and I’ve run as hard as I can for every ball,” the 30-year-old said after the medal ceremony. “So that does take its toll,” the opening batsman added.
Warner said he would fly out on February 5, “So I’ve got a bit of time at home which is great. I’m grateful that you know Cricket Australia allowing me to get over some little niggles and having a little bit of rest at home to get me ready for India and there’s no excuses there.”
Australia has won Test and one-day series against Pakistan after losses to South Africa and a tough tour of Sri Lanka and Warner admitted to feeling the strain.
“I felt probably the first two especially one-dayers this series with Pakistan, I’ve felt quite, not lazy, but my feet weren’t moving,” he said. “Sometimes they don’t move at all, but they were just quite fatigued.”
Australia face Pakistan in Adelaide in their final one-dayer tomorrow having already wrapped up the series 3-1. With a need to get on the front foot batting in India, Warner said he could look forward to training after the break. “We are going to be working our backsides off physically and mentally as well before we even think about playing the game of cricket (in India),” the vice-captain said. “That’s what gets you mentally tough and ready for those conditions. It’s not the wicket it’s not the opposition, the conditions. You’ve got the heat. Players that have been in India know how hard it is just to overcome that let alone the cricket itself. You’ve got to acclimatise.”
Warner smashed consecutive hundreds against Pakistan in Melbourne and Sydney where he also blasted the fastest Australian Test half-century off just 23 balls. Top-ranked India play the first Test against Australia at Pune from February 23.

New Zealand want run-out review after odd dismissal
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has called for a review of run-out rules following the bizarre dismissal of Neil Wagner in the second Test against Bangladesh.
Wagner grounded his bat before the ball hit the wickets but was given out because he had no part of his body nor bat on the ground when the bails came off. In the fraction of a second it took for the bails to be dislodged he was mid-stride with both feet in the air and had lifted the bat off the ground. “It seems a little bit unfair,” Hesson said yesterday, although the decision did not impact on the outcome of the game as New Zealand went on to win by nine wickets.
The New Zealand argument was that if the bat touching the ground behind the line completes a single if the batsmen turn for another run, then it should also complete the single if it is the end of the scoring movement.
“When your bat bounces over the line, once you’ve made your ground, that’s not really what the run-out’s all about,” Hesson said. “I personally think it (the rule) needs a bit of tinkering.”
The second Test win in Christchurch completed a tour sweep of Bangladesh with New Zealand claiming both Tests as well as the three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s.