Series against India will be highly competitive: Warner

Australian opener David Warner, who made his maiden Test century and was named man-of-the-match against New Zealand in the second cricket Test at Hobart Monday, is looking forward to being selected for the Test series against India and expects it to be highly competitive series.

'It was nice to get to the milestone of a Test hundred but it was disappointing not to be able to help Australia over the line,' Warner said from Hobart, hoping that the century and the show of character would secure him a place in the side against India. 'The Boxing Day Test match is always special and, more so, against India. Hopefully we can play well.'

Warner recalled that there was much intensity during India's last tour of Australia and does not expect the coming series to be very different.

'That some of us have played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the last four years will surely help the players understand one another better but I don't think that this familiarity will take the edge away when we are on the field,' he said.

'Lots of things were going on when India toured Australia the last time in 2007-08 but that is what makes cricket. Everyone likes to play very seriously and that alone should ensure that none changes the attitude on the field. There are always a couple of players who like to chat up a bit and get under people's skins,' he said.

The 25-year-old from Paddington fondly remembered the encouragement he has received from Delhi Daredevils captain and India star Virender Sehwag and other team-mates over the last three years.

'Playing for Delhi Daredevils has obviously helped me as I worked with a set of world class players like Sehwag, Daniel Vettori, Glenn McGrath and others like GG (Gautam Gambhir), Morne Morkel, Ashish Nehra and Dinesh Karthik. They have all egged me on with their comments and feedback and that has allowed me to mature as a player,' he said.

'I will not forget how when I joined Delhi Daredevils, Sehwag told me that I would be a better Test cricketer than a Twenty20 player when I had not yet played first class cricket. When I asked him how he could predict that, Sehwag shared his theory of how everyone would be in the slips and I could play my shots freely,' Warner said.

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