Watch: David Warner stunned after beauty from Kasun Rajitha cleans him up

Australia got off to a horrible start to the second and final Test of the series in Sri Lanka, losing their explosive opener David Warner to a peach of a delivery from opposition right-arm seamer Kasun Rajitha. 

Batting on 5 off 12 at the time, Warner was hoping to get into his innings with a few boundaries along the turf in Galle. Instead, the batter had to make the long walk back after receiving a pearler from Rajitha, who evoked England fast-bowler Stuart Broad into getting rid of the dangerous left-hander. 

Coming from around-the-wicket angle with the new ball, Rajitha got Warner out in proper Broad-esque manner, with the one that threatened to shape in before moving out to dislodge the batter’s off-stump. David Warner had simply no answers to the quality of the delivery presented to him. 

David Warner out to a peach from Kasun Rajitha 

The dismissal was seen near the end of the fifth over in the Australian first-innings. Not yet into rhythm at the crease, David Warner received a gem of a ball from Rajitha, as the delivery coming from wide of the crease got the batter committed to the frontfoot prod. But moved away at the last moment to disturb the furniture behind him. 

Warner was left shell shocked by the quality of the delivery on offer from Rajitha as the batter would’ve felt he had the ball covered until it jagged away late upon landing on the seam and hit the left-hander’s off-stump. 

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The emotions were in complete contrast for Rajitha and the rest of the Sri Lankan fielders, who would’ve been desperate for a good start after losing the previous Test match inside three days and trailing the two-match series 1-0 in home conditions. 

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The dismissal was a painful reminder of his swing and seam trials for David Warner after he had a disastrous Ashes 2019 trying to keep the rampaging Broad at bay from the around-the-wicket angle into the left-hander. 

As Australia gear up for the next Ashes trip in the summer of 2023, it is an issue they would be hoping for their experienced left-hander to find a solution to.