'I make everyone look stupid': Warner turns gaze to England

David Warner remains no less punchy than usual, declaring his red-hot World Cup form has made his critics "look stupid", but stopped short of shooting the wounded ahead of Australia's first meeting with England since their bitter Ashes campaign.

In fact, Warner has warned that Jos Buttler's men, who have performed so poorly in India they are in danger of missing qualification for the Champions Trophy, could pose a greater threat given their title defence is all but over.

"It'd be nice," the opener said when asked if he hopes to pile on England's misery. "But they're the teams that are the most dangerous when there's nothing to lose.

"They've got some very, very (high) quality players and we have to respect it. They bat to 11 and their bowling unit is very good."

The post-Test series refreshments that were not shared after the Oval in August might not be drunk in Ahmedabad either after this Saturday's contest, if only because, as Warner reminded reporters, Gujarat is a dry state.

The contest at the 132,000-seat monolith will not have quite the fanfare of Australia's first match at the renovated stadium earlier this year when India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after whom the ground is named, did a lap of honour in a 'bat-mobile' with his counterpart Anthony Albanese.

But this week's match is certain to be more entertaining than February's tame draw on a featherbed. The Aussies are out to shore up a top-four spot while England are desperate to avoid the embarrassment of finishing below the likes of 14th-ranked Netherlands.

Warner turned 37 last week but his 50-over batting is as destructive as ever. He has peeled off scores 163, 104 and 81 in his last three starts to be the tournament's second-leading run scorer.

Formidable first-wicket stands with Mitch Marsh (until he was demoted to No.3) and now Travis Head have been crucial in Australia's four-game win streak.

"Everyone keeps writing me off," said Warner.

"I'm doing as well as I can, I'm just trying to go out there and start as well as I can up front in the first 10 (overs). If I get in, I try and make the most of it.

"It's also awesome to have Heady and Mitch there as well, because it allows that pressure to keep being put back onto the opposition.

Asked if the so-called doubters were fuelling him, Warner said: "Nup. I just make everyone look stupid."

Both Marsh and Head have hit centuries in recent innings opening the batting with Warner; Head blazed a 59-ball ton in a 175-run partnership against the Kiwis, while Marsh made 121 against Pakistan in a record 259-run union.

"It doesn't matter whether it’s him or Mitch, they're both exactly the same player, but it's good to see Heady come out and fire," Warner said after the NZ match.

"He's obviously came back where he left off in (South) Africa and it's good to have him amongst the runs and hopefully he keeps continuing it in Ahmedabad.

"That’s his game plan – he likes to go after every single ball. That's why we nicknamed him 'Chaos'. It seems to be hitting the middle all the time, and that's the way he plays, and that's good, because at the other end, it (puts) a bit of pressure on the bowlers, and then I can get some bad balls as well.

"We are gelling really well together.

All but two of the Australia XI who faced NZ in Dharamsala were involved in the Ashes tour, meaning Saturday's game shapes as a test of the relationships between the two sides after the Lord's controversy has continued to simmer even after the gripping five-Test campaign in the UK.

Asked if he'd had any discussions with England players since, Warner said: "Not since the lunchroom", a reference to the shared Lord's eating area where Australian players have recounted with much amusement how Bairstow had seethed after his contentious stumping.

Stuart Broad will not be present this week, but Warner did not miss the chance to have a word on his great nemesis after the retired paceman returned to the headlines last week by providing catnip to spirit-of-cricket diehards on a podcast hosted by a mobile phone tycoon and sponsored by an online bookmaker.

Broad detailed a back-and-forth with Pat Cummins at Lord's following the Jonny Bairstow stumping saga by recalling how he called the Test captain "an absolute disgrace". Cummins, according to Broad, replied by suggesting he was "hardly upkeeping of the spirit of cricket".

"That upset me and the next 10 minutes I became very facetious. I had no real control over what I was doing," said Broad.

Warner's take? "I don't actually know what that means to be honest. How do you not have control?"

Australia's 2023 ODI World Cup fixtures

October 8: Lost to India by six wickets

October 12: Lost to South Africa by 134 runs

October 16: Beat Sri Lanka by five wickets

October 20: Beat Pakistan by 62 runs

October 25: Beat Netherlands by 309 runs

October 28: Beat New Zealand by five runs

November 4: v England, Ahmedabad (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 7: v Afghanistan, Mumbai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 11: v Bangladesh, Pune, 4pm AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

2023 World Cup standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 India Men IND	9	9	0	0	0	2.57	0	18
2 South Africa Men SA	9	7	2	0	0	1.261	0	14
3 Australia Men AUS	9	7	2	0	0	0.841	0	14
4 New Zealand Men NZ	9	5	4	0	0	0.743	0	10
5 Pakistan Men PAK	9	4	5	0	0	-0.199	0	8
6 Afghanistan Men AFG	9	4	5	0	0	-0.336	0	8
7 England Men ENG	9	3	6	0	0	-0.572	0	6
8 Bangladesh Men BAN	9	2	7	0	0	-1.087	0	4
9 Sri Lanka Men SL	9	2	7	0	0	-1.419	0	4
10 Netherlands Men NED	9	2	7	0	0	-1.825	0	4

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points