David Warner did his job, of scoring a century and probably shut his critics as well in the first Test of the three-match series against Pakistan as Australia took a 1-0 lead. Warner may have done his job but Mitchell Johnson, who criticised the veteran opening batter before the series has launched an attack once again despite the left-hander smashing a magnificent ton in Perth on the opening day.
Johnson had questioned Warner's place in the side and brought the 2018 sandpaper gate into the discourse back saying that someone who was involved in such an incident and never publicly apologised for it, shouldn';t get to pick and choose his retirement date. For the uninitiated, the Pakistan series is Warner's swansong in Test cricket, which he announced earlier this year.
"On day one of the first Test against Pakistan Warner rode his luck early on — and it could have gone either way — and you take that and he went on to make 164,” Johnson wrote for the West Australian about Warner's, sort of, retort to him with the bat.
“He did what he was paid to do in the first innings before Saturday’s duck in the second innings.
“Warner may have denied he cares about criticism of his form, but it definitely does drive him as shown in his performance in the first innings," he added.
Johnson stood by his earlier comment saying that Warner wasn't in form apart from a double hundred in the last three years and with this home summer being a soft one (considering the opponents Pakistan and West Indies), a new face could have been tried given they have to face tough opponents like New Zealand, India and England in the next couple of years. The former left-arm pacer said that it would have been a great opportunity for a youngster to prepare against weaker opponents and then be ready for bigger challenges.
Warner's knock set up Australia for a huge win as they scored 487 runs in the first innings, followed by another 233 runs in the second innings as Pakistan batters and bowlers proved to be too frail for the home side, eventually. Australia have a 1-0 lead currently and will hope to add two more to the kitty.
