CAMERON Bancroft last night sat down with David Warner for heart-to-heart advice on how to fight his way out of trouble and prove himself in Test cricket.
Warner threw his support behind his embattled partner and implored Bancroft to transport himself back to the innings that earned him a baggy green in the first place.
Bancroft finds himself under early pressure this series after an early stumble in the first Test against South Africa in Durban compounded an unconvincing debut Ashes campaign and he has now gone seven innings without a score.
For a player who has had the best part of two months to clear his mind and prepare for South Africa’s quicks, Bancroft’s meek dismissal where he shuffled out of his crease and across to nick off to Vernon Philander was a concern.
Warner hasn’t forgotten the brilliant hundred Bancroft made for Western Australia against NSW’s all-Australian bowling attack to demand Test selection way back in November and last night urged his comrade not to lose sight of what he’s capable of.
Both men were dismissed before lunch on day one in Durban and then Bancroft spent the afternoon tapping into Warner’s wisdom for mental fortitude and positivity.
“We had a good conversation today. We sat upstairs for quite a while and I spoke to him about the way he approaches it,” said Warner.
“(I asked) do you feel like sometimes you have to go after the ball or is it nervous energy?
“He was quite insightful with what he was saying to me and I understood him and where he was coming from.
“He knows it was a soft dismissal. We spoke about it before at length.
“You look back at the Shield [runs] he scored against us and our bowling attack at Hurstville Oval. It was one of the best innings I’ve seen from him to date.
“I always talk to him about going back to that and thinking about ‘how did you go so well’ and ‘how can you replicate that on the big stage here’.
“It’s a different game, there’s a lot of pressure about … but I know he’s so focused on his preparation, you can’t fault that.
“It’s just not happening out there at the moment. It will happen, you just need a bit of luck in this game.”
As beneficial as Warner’s words might have been, Bancroft might have gotten even more out of watching the vice-captain’s batting on day one.
Without any red ball preparation to speak of for the first Test in Durban after flying in late from the Twenty20 internationals in New Zealand, Warner didn’t skip a beat as he carved out a classy half century.
Warner said decisiveness was the key to his ability to adapt — sage advice perhaps for Bancroft.
“I hit a lot of cricket balls the last three days,” said Warner.
“It’s just about being mentally fresh and coming in with a clear mind and being decisive with what you do and my intent and purpose at training was purely just to get volume in and making sure I’m making the right decisions. That I’m getting forward and getting back and playing the way that I do and that’s seeing the ball, hitting the ball. When I do that my defence is in check.
“The last couple of days I really got my volume in and we had an optional day (the day before) and I came down and hit for about two hours, probably more than I’ve ever done in my career before a game.
“But I had to do that because I needed to get the volume in and that’s how I switched it back on.”
