NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals head coach
Ricky Ponting
on Tuesday disclosed that an X-ray conducted on
David Warner
's
swollen finger
didn't indicate any significant injury. However, a decision regarding his participation in the upcoming IPL game against Gujarat Titans will depend on the results of a fitness test conducted before the match.
The Capitals are scheduled to face Gujarat Titans in an away fixture in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, with Warner's fitness being closely monitored.
The experienced top-order batsman sustained the finger injury during his batting stint in the previous match against Lucknow Super Giants.
"David did have an X-ray after the last game. That X-ray came back all clear. But, he's got a lot of swelling around the knuckle on his left hand. We'll give him a fitness test tomorrow morning, and keeping our fingers crossed that he's okay," Ponting said of Warner on the eve of the match.
Warner has amassed 166 runs for DC this season across six matches, yet the team finds itself struggling in the ninth position with just two wins and four losses.
Ponting emphasised the importance of consistent performance in a tournament as competitive as the Indian Premier League.
"The overriding message from me to the players over the last six games is how close we've been. We could easily be sitting here with five wins and one loss. So, we understand how close we are and how close the tournament is, but you can't afford to be close to be good in the IPL. You've got to turn up and be very good every day.
"We know we've got to get better in certain areas of our cricket. And trust me, we're working really hard every day to make sure that we're as well prepared as we can be," he said.
At the pre-match press conference, Ponting explained the team's approach for the game against the Gujarat Giants. "We will structure our batting order tomorrow to make sure that we've got the right batsmen against their spinners in those crucial middle overs of the game.
"The batsmen are well aware of the skill set that they'll need tomorrow to take on this Gujarat side. We are just looking forward to the contest," Ponting said.
(With PTI inputs)
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