Warner battles with bruised hand en route to his fifty

Australia are in a commanding position on Day one of the second Ashes Test, finishing 339 for five in overcast conditions after being asked to bat first at the Home of Cricket. 

David Warner led Australia's charge with the bat as he scored a vital half-century to lay a solid foundation for the visiting side. The southpaw has been struggling with a bruised hand after copping a few blows in the last couple of games. 

While he admitted it is very sore, Warner was quick to assure that he was never in doubt about playing in the second game. 

"It's copped a battering the last two games and in the nets, so it's a little bit sore at the moment, a bit of a bruise, but I'll just see how we go after the game, and I think we'll examine it then. At the moment, it's quite tender," Warner said, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo. 

"I was never in doubt, but it was quite sore. Initially, it was more in the palm, I've got a hotspot where my thumb is, and every time the ball hits the bat, it just jars. Then today, I got hit back in the knuckle, which I think Mohammed Shami hit me on in that World Test Championship. I've had my hand in an ice bucket all afternoon, so we'll assess it after the game," he further added.

The 36-year-old stepped in England with question marks over his place in the side but has produced some clutch performances to ensure he will end his career on his own terms in January at home. 

"I've felt in total control the last six to eight months with where my game is. I'm moving into the ball, and my feet are moving, not just playing with my hands," he said.

"I felt like I was onto something special in the World Test Championship final. And then the last game, the same thing. Everything I'm putting in the nets is actually coming out there in the middle."

"I'm excited by it, and if I can keep getting myself in and keep that momentum going with my feet, a big one could be around the corner," he concluded.