David Warner has expressed willingness to come out of retirement for Australia’s upcoming five-match home Test series against India.
Warner had retired from Test cricket after Australia’s home series against Pakistan in 2023/24. When the West Indies toured later that Australian summer, Steve Smith moved up the order to open batting with Usman Khawaja.
One of the greatest middle-order Test batters of all time, Smith continued to open batting, in New Zealand, but with little success. However, once Cameron Green was ruled out of Australia’s upcoming home series against India, there were reports of Smith expressing willingness to return to the middle order before Smith denied it.
However, with no Green, there is no reason for Australia to continue with Smith at the top. For the India series, they now have to replace Green with an opener in the XI. While Warner had himself backed Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw and Cameron Bancroft have been in the reckoning from some time now. There is also Western Australia captain Sam Whiteman and New South Wales prodigy Sam Konstas.
Warner: I am more than happy to play
Amidst all this, Warner has himself indicated that he has not ruled out a comeback. “I’m always available, just got to pick up the phone,” he told Code Sports. “I’m always dead serious. Let’s be honest, the guys have played one red ball game since their last Test matches in February, so I’ve almost had the same preparation.”
Warner’s statement is almost accurate. Australia’s first Test in New Zealand did begin on February 29, which made it almost two Tests for them since February. More importantly, unlike Warner, several stars of the current Australian Test side have been playing in the ongoing Sheffield Shield.
“Honestly, if they really needed myself for this series, I’m more than happy to play the next Shield game and go out there and play,” added Warner. “I did retire for the right reasons to finish the game and I wanted to finish (but) my hand is up if they desperately need someone. I’m not going to shy away from that.”
Warner had retired with 8,786 runs from 112 Test matches at 44.59. At home, where he hit 20 of his 26 Test hundreds, that average shot up to 57.85.
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