World Test Championship: Ahead of the final Test match of his career against Pakistan starting on January 3, left-handed opener David Warner revealed he prepared to end his career in the longer format after the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
In June 2023, ahead of the World Test Championship final against India, Warner had expressed thoughts on retiring from Test cricket after the Australia-Pakistan Test at Sydney. But he had been named for first two Ashes Tests, which meant Warner’s run till then depended on his form, which has been good enough to have his swansong wish fulfilled.
“I said quite clearly in England before the World Test Championship (final), there was a lot of talk about me and my form. I wanted to nip it in the bud early. I said my ideal preparation to finish would be Sydney – that’s ideal, that’s fantastic. But I actually had Lord’s pencilled in as my last Test, especially if I didn’t go as well as I did in a partnership with ‘Uzzie’ (Usman Khawaja) at the top of the order.”
“Then from there, it just followed on that we played some good innings together. I didn’t have that hundred (in England) that I always wanted but always eluded me in achieving. But as a team and as a whole we did our bit. To get this ending is awesome, but it’s not about me, it’s about us.”
“We’ve won the series (against Pakistan) but to win 3-0 and have a whitewash here at the SCG would be a great thing for the team. We can’t take away the fact of how well this team has been (playing) in the last 18 months,” said Warner in the press conference.
Asked about his emotions ahead of the final Test of his career, Warner said it had grown more as the match at his home ground Sydney Cricket Ground is coming closer. “It has actually become more emotional. When I looked at Lord’s as a potential finish, I didn’t really have many emotions because I was content. I might not have been scoring runs, but I still had the desire to play Test cricket.”
“I love the game of cricket, it doesn’t matter what format I’m playing. But definitely it’s been emotional since Perth, since I’ve been back in Australia and knowing that I’m playing (my final Test summer). Getting that 160, putting us into a great position, it hit home when people in the streets were coming up and saying, ‘well done, we support you, we back you’.”
“It really means a lot. The emotions probably started then. I thank all the supporters and the fans out there, because they’re the key shareholders in the game. Without them we don’t get to play the game that we love. We don’t get to entertain – and we’re in the entertainment business. That really, really means a lot to all of us.”
In 111 Tests since his debut in 2011, Warner has scored 8695 runs at an average of 44.6, including 26 fifties and 36 half-centuries, proving to snatch the game away from the opposition in quick time. He signed off by saying that he wants to be remembered as someone who just gave it his all on the field.
“I’ve said this all along. A boy from a housing commission having a dream. I’ve not always fitted the mould, but I’ve been authentic and honest. I think that shows on the field in Test cricket, I’ve played the exact same way. I’m even playing lap shots like I do in T20 cricket.”
“I’m still trying my best to get better, even in this last Test. I’m hungry to score runs. It’s no different to any other game. I just want to leave (a legacy) behind that you can go out and play the way you want to play, you can play with freedom, you can play reverse sweeps like Joe Root if you want. You’ve got the ability to do that and you’ve got to trust and believe in yourself.”