David Warner hopes to vanquish finger injury concern ahead of WI clash

Warner is the top scorer in ODIs in the calendar year with 511 runs in nine games at an average of 63.87. © Cricaction

David Warner, the in-form Australian batsman, faces a race against time to get fit ahead of his team's next fixture in the ongoing tri-series in the Caribbean after picking up a finger injury during his side's 36-run win over South Africa in St. Kitts on Saturday (June 11). Warner, who received the Player of the Match award for a well-crafted 109, was struck on the index finger of his left hand while attempting to catch JP Duminy late in South Africa's chase.

The 29-year-old reckoned that the injury was a definitely a cause for concern but remained hopeful of getting fit before Monday's game against West Indies at the same venue. "The finger is quite sore," Warner said. "We'll keep assessing it over the next 24 hours. It's quite painful. To me it's just got the same bruising marks as a normal bung on the finger does. I'm always hopeful. A sore finger is not going to stop me but if it's broken, that might.

"I was a bit hesitant. When I first looked at it, it didn't look too good. It had that sort of purple mark on the nail. But it doesn't feel like the thumb.. I've broken the thumb twice, I know what that feels like. Hopefully, I'm being positive, and there's not too much damage."

Warner, whose sixth One-Day International (ODI) century proved to be the difference between the two sides on the day, attributed his excellent 2016 form to a positive mindset. He is the top scorer in ODIs in the calendar year with 511 runs in nine games at an average of 63.87.

"It's always challenging when you play on these small grounds, because in the back of your mind you've got to take the ego out of it," Warner said. "When you're in, you can feel like you can hit every ball for six. But once that ball got older it was harder to bat. It was actually quite hard to free the arms. You've got to try and get yourself in and be positive.

"The boundaries are always going to come if you're being positive, looking with intent to hit the ones and twos. That's the most important thing about this game, is rotating the strike. There's four fielders out until the last 10, you've just got to make the most of it until you get into there."

With two wins from three, Australia (9 points) top the tri-series points table followed by South Africa (5 points) and West Indies (4 points). They will complete their St. Kitts leg of the tournament on Monday before jetting off to Barbados for the next.