David Warner guides Australia towards second straight T20 World Cup victory

Australia has claimed its second consecutive victory at the T20 World Cup after a horrific blunder gifted David Warner an extra life.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Australian cricketer David Warner laughed off suggestions he was out of form leading into the Men’s T20 World Cup.

“People talking about my form is quite funny,” he quipped. “I laugh at the matter.

“I feel like I’m in a good space, I’m hitting the ball well in the nets, I couldn’t be any more ready to go.”

And it only took him 24 hours to validate those remarks.

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Australia has claimed its second consecutive victory at the T20 tournament, and Warner was largely to thank for the triumph.

The 35-year-old silenced his doubters with an explosive knock of 65 off 42 balls against Sri Lanka at Dubai International Cricket Stadium that featured 10 boundaries.

Pressure was heating up on Warner after scoring a paltry 17 runs in his previous five T20 innings. He was recently dumped as captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad before the IPL franchise dropped him from its starting XI altogether.

But Australian coach Justin Langer can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the veteran has rediscovered his mojo days before a mouth-watering clash with England.

“Tonight, I had to obviously start fresh,” Warner told reporters after the win.

“Everyone was talking about my form, which I reiterated was not a thing I was worried about. It was about going out there and starting well. That‘s all we’re trying to do, apply pressure to the bowlers.”

David Warner is back. Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

Warner combined with Australian captain Aaron Finch for a crucial 70-run partnership that guided the Aussies towards a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the 2014 champions.

“It‘s nice when you get a couple in the middle of the bat early,” Finch, who finished with 37 off just 23 deliveries, said after the win.

“We knew that spin was going to have such a big impact outside the Powerplay, so we knew the quicks we had to take a little bit of a chance on and we got away with it, which was nice, Davey played a beautiful knock.”

But the Sri Lankans didn’t do themselves any favours in the field, with wicketkeeper Kusal Perera dropping a regulation catch during the Powerplay when Warner was on 18.

Incredibly, the umpire had raised his finger before the ball had reached Perea, who fumbled one of the most straightforward chances a wicketkeeper could hope for.

Australian broadcaster Quentin Hill called it “one of the worst keeping blunders you’ll see”.

Umpire Illingworth had the finger up before Kusal put it down #T20WorldCuppic.twitter.com/GloT1OBGFW

— Josh Schönafinger (@joshschon) October 28, 2021

Kusal Perera with as bad a drop by an international wicketkeeper as you'd see. Went to him so slowly the bowler was prematurely celebrating, and the umpire had begun raising his finger. #T20WorldCup

— Andrew Wu (@wutube) October 28, 2021

Most runs for Australia at the Men‘s T20 World Cup

552 - David Warner

537 - Shane Watson

437 - Michael Hussey

Sri Lanka posted a defendable total of 6/154 after being sent in to bat on Thursday evening, with Perera and No. 3 batter Charith Asalanka both scoring 35.

But a classy spell from Australian spinner Adam Zampa, who conceded just 12 runs from his four overs, strangled the Sri Lankans in the middle orders.

Player-of-the-Match Zampa dismissed Asalanka and Avishka Fernando to finish with 2/12 from his four overs, equalling the Australian record for most economic bowling spell at a T20 World Cup.

“Sri Lanka got off to a bit of a flyer so we needed to peg it back when we did,” Zampa said after the match.

“To be honest, I think it was quite slow in the first innings and spun a little bit more than it did in the second innings.

“If anything, the moisture, the dew took effect in the second innings.”

Aussie quicks Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins also snared two wickets in the first innings before the batters chased the target with three overs to spare.

The Australians will next face England in Dubai on Sunday AEDT, with the first ball scheduled for 1am.