
LONDON – Australia's returning batsman David Warner poses the biggest threat to England's hopes of regaining the Ashes, according to all-rounder Ben Stokes who says his team mates must pressure the 32-year-old from the off.
Warner, former captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft are all returning to the test arena for the first time since serving bans for their roles in a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last March - adding steel to Australia's batting.
But it is Warner who Stokes believes is Australia's key man.
“Warner is a player who can take games away from you,” Stokes was quoted in The Times on Wednesday.
“He is a phenomenal batsman and a very dangerous opener so to tie him down and not let him establish his authority against us would be a really big plus for us for the rest of the series.