David Warner's form has been a consistent point of debate in the Australian Test team. The opening batter has scored just one hundred in his last 25 Test matches and despite getting starts, the Southpaw has not been able to cash in the opportunities. In the ongoing Ashes too, Warner has collected just one fifty and has 225 runs in nine innings. Speaking on his current run, former Aussie speedster Glenn McGrath has hinted that Warner might be playing his last Test and his career is coming towards an end.
Aussie great McGrath believes that Warner is under pressure and his Test career could be coming towards an end. There’s a bit of pressure on Dave Warner. He looked ok, but then, got out again. To be honest, I think, unfortunately, that maybe, it's coming towards the end of his career," McGrath told SENQ Breakfast.
Unless he scores big, he might struggle: McGrath
The Aussie star then hinted that even though Warner wants to end his Test career with a home match in Sydney Cricket Ground, the opening batter might struggle to last till there if he does not score big in the final innings at The Oval Test against England. “I know he came out the other day and said he wanted to play it to the end of next summer. But I think the pressure is on him. The vultures are circling. Unless he comes out in the second dig and produces a big score, I think he might struggle," he said.
Warner scored a fighting 24 in the first innings of the final Ashes Test. He looked confident and solid in his 49-run stand with Usman Khawaja but perished to a Chris Woakes delivery. Including the 66 in the second Test against England, Warner has attracted scores of 9, 36, 66, 25, 4, 1, 32, 28 and 24 (till the first innings of the fifth Test).
McGrath also opened up on the starts he is getting. "Unfortunately, he's got a lot of starts this series and then just gets out. I'm not sure what's there. The timing is not quite there. He had that big innings back in Australia on Boxing Day where he got the 200, but there hasn't been a sort of real big score before or after that for quite some time. He's probably feeling the pressure, he still talks it up and says he's going fine and this and that, but he's got to put the runs on the board, unfortunately," he concluded.
The next Test series for Australia will be the home three-match contest against Pakistan in December 2023 and January 2024. As hinted by McGrath, the Ashes could be the final dance for Warner if he does not score big and the selectors take their trust off him.
