Australia v New Zealand: David Warner vs Tim Southee sledge

He’s been the Bull. He’s been the Reverend. In both instances, it ate away at parts of his game that made David Warner great. But there was a moment in Perth that showed the feisty opener has finally found the perfect balance.

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (R) celebrates with teammate David Warner (L) after taking a catch to dismiss Pakistan's batsman Iftikhar Ahmed on the fourth day of the second Test cricket match in Adelaide on December 2, 2019. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

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It was a bit like feeling the wrath of an agitated Snow White.

When New Zealand fast man Tim Southee pounced upon a ball from Joe Burns and struck the batsman after hurling the ball it back at him as he stood in front of his stumps, the first spark of the series had flown.

David Warner could not help himself and offered “mate c’mon, you are supposed to be Mr Nice Guys.’’

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Tim Southee pings a ball in the direction of Joe Burns. Picture: AAP

You don’t reckon Warner had that one up his sleeve ready for the first time a Kiwi saucepan-lid started to wobble with the hot bubbles?

Former Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum quipped in commentary that Warner playing the behavioural guardian was a bit much but it was an interesting moment.

New Zealand had been painted as the team with the moral standings as pure as the driven show on top of Mount Wellington so this was an unexpected icebreaker.

It also spotlighted the issue of Warner’s potential future in verbal combat and perhaps even highlights the place he is best suited to in the suddenly cleansed world of modern cricket.

In his turbulent Test career Warner has occupied both ends of the behavioural spectrum.

He’s been the raging bull and the specially designated attack dog and he’s also switched off the volume so completely that for a while he was called The Reverend.

Neither extreme seemed to fit.

For a player with such a natural abrasive edge The Reverend nickname was never going to last and it never did.

Has David Warner finally found the right balance? Picture: AFP

But, at other times, there was also a sense that the team was overly using him as their abrasive cutting edge.

He willingly played the part but it cost him in the end with the ball tampering affair being the shuddering low point.

In that tiny exchange with Southee, on the summer’s hottest cricket day, Warner may have found the right temperature for the road forward.

A bit of banter. A point made. A little barb landed. But it was a far cry from the acid-tipped verbal assaults of a few years ago.

In the new cultural world Australia has imposed upon itself after the ball tampering affair in Cape Town the Australia has to be careful where it treads verbally but you would hate to see cricket lose little exchanges like the Warner-Southee nibble which have always enlivened the game.

Warner (L) has been Australia’s attack dog in the field for the best part of a decade. Picture: AFP

Warner was unlucky to fall to a spectacular caught and bowled by the energetic Neil Wagner but he had plenty of luck against Pakistan so the ledger has balanced out.

Joe Burns looked out of form in his short stay against the swinging ball.

Had he reviewed his lbw decision he would have been saved but its difficult to be too critical of that decision because they was not one voice in the press box shouting “missing leg’’ when the decision was handed down.

It was a surprise when ball tracker found it was comfortably missing leg.

The new Optus Stadium deck played honourably but when it comes to bounce, it’s not like the blood and thunder WACA up the road, a point Dean Jones reinforced on social media.

There will be no tears shed if this deck cracks up under the hot sun and favours the bowlers as it did for periods last year because Australian cricket is craving a wicket which breaks up and does something different.

The first day crowd was small but expectations are that it will build to respectable levels throughout the match even given the continued forecasts for 40 degree days.