During his impressive stint with Delhi Daredevils in the 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL), David Warner's stellar performances in white-ball cricket convinced the cricketing world of his potential to become a superstar. While dominating as an aggressive opener, Virender Sehwag, recognising Test potential in Warner, saw beyond the limited-overs format.
Known for redefining the approach of openers in Test cricket, Sehwag saw in Warner the qualities needed to excel as a Test opener for Australia. Sehwag, one of the finest modern-day openers, took the opportunity to engage with Warner during IPL 2009, sharing his vision for the left-hander's red-ball future. Despite not having previously considered red-ball cricket seriously, Warner, influenced by Sehwag's insights, began to understand the possibilities even in the face of tough competition in the Australian cricket team.
Before making his Test debut in 2011, the 37-year-old spent two years playing first-class cricket. His Test journey started on a high note, with Warner achieving his first century in just his second Test. In his fifth Test, facing a touring Indian side led by Sehwag, Warner made a significant impact, scoring a match-winning 180 for Australia at the WACA in Perth – a momentous achievement in front of the man who influenced his decision to play Test cricket.
Fast forward 11 years, and Warner is on the brink of retiring from Test cricket, leaving a legacy as one of the finest modern-day openers. Similar to Sehwag's impact for India, Warner contributed significantly to Australia's success at the top of the order. Warner, having played 112 Tests, surpassed Sehwag's run tally of 8207 last year and has four more centuries than the former Indian opener.
As he concludes his career, Warner will be counted among the top five leading run-scorers as openers in Test cricket.
'POWERPLAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY'
In an interview with Cricbuzz before David Warner's farewell Test, Virender Sehwag expressed pride and happiness. Sehwag acknowledged that Warner had surpassed most of his records, with the exception of the strike rate.
"When David Warner came to play for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2009, he'd just made his T20I and ODI debuts. But the way he used to bat and hit the ball, I could see he had all the talent and the control you need in a Test batter. But what happens for a young player like him is that you don't have the confidence that you have the skills to play Test cricket. When I saw him, I was convinced that he would be better in Tests than he even is in T20 cricket," Sehwag said.
"I shared this view with him, and he started laughing. He said, 'I am so far away from Test cricket and in Australia it's so difficult to break into the Test team to start with.' I told him, 'You will enjoy it. It's made for you. In Test cricket, you have a power play throughout the day. In T20 cricket the powerplay only lasts for 20 overs.' He started laughing and said, 'Then I'll certainly enjoy it'.
"Later, he went on to play Tests for Australia and messaged me saying he was so happy that I'd said that to him," he added.
Sehwag holds the highest strike rate among opening batters in Tests with a minimum of 2000 runs, standing at 83.10. Warner occupies the third position in this ranking, boasting a strike rate of 70.50.
HE SHOULDN'T RETIRE FROM TESTS: SEHWAG
The ex-Indian opening batter played down worries about Warner's decline in Test cricket form, expressing his desire for the Australian opener not to retire from the format.
"I personally don't think he should retire from Tests based on the way he's batting. But as you age and get to 35-36, you start thinking about off-field matters, like your family and your kids. I can't see any issue with his reflexes or fitness owing to age. I think he's mentally decided that he doesn't want to play Tests anymore.I am sure he will continue playing T20 cricket for a long time to come," the 45-year-old said.
There were doubts about Warner's spot in the Test lineup leading up to the current three-match series against Pakistan. However, Warner emphatically silenced his critics by scoring a substantial century in the first Test against Pakistan in Perth.
Now, Warner is poised for a memorable farewell as he concludes his Test career at his home ground, the Sydney Cricket Ground. He also had earlier announced his retirement from One Day International (ODI) cricket before his final Test.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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