Ahead of farewell Test, David Warner opens up on favourite innings, moments, toughest bowler faced

SYDNEY: Ahead of his final Test match against Pakistan, Australian opener David Warner opened up on the favourite moment of his Test career, the achievement he could not accomplish and his partnership with long-time friend Usman Khawaja.

Warner will bid farewell to the longest format of the game with the third Test against Pakistan at his home arena of Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Warner recalled former pacer Ryan Harris taking the final two wickets to seal a hard-fought Test series against South Africa at Cape Town as his favourite moment, though winning the Ashes is massive as well.

"There is a lot, but from a team perspective, I think winning the Ashes is massive. But I remember back to Africa (in 2014) when Ryan Harris took that final wicket in the last couple of overs. I think that one stands out for me because that was a really hard-fought series. That to me was one of the hardest games I have been a part of. The memory of Ryan Harris (bowling) on one knee was really significant, and that is one that stands out for me," said Warner as quoted by cricket.com.au.

In that series back in 2014, the scoreline was level at 1-1 heading into the Cape Town Test. Australia won the match by 245 runs. Ryan took seven wickets in the match, including a four-wicket haul in the last innings. Warner was the 'Player of the Match' for scoring 135, 145 in both innings.

On his favourite innings, Warner said that scoring a century against Pakistan in 2017 in a single session was massive for him while a knock of 335* against the same opponents at Adelaide in 2019 was also his "most patient" knock.

"I think the 100 in a session here (against Pakistan in 2017) is probably one for me where you don't go out as an opening batter trying to achieve that, to get the team off to a start like that. But to go out there and score a hundred in a session is massive. Then clearly the 300 in Adelaide (his 335no against Pakistan in 2019) was probably my most patient innings. It was a challenge mentally to get back up the next day and play. I had never really experienced that before in that many hours at the crease," said Warner.

The southpaw picked up South African pace legend Dale Steyn as the toughest bowler he has faced as he "never gave you a smile and never gave you an inch or a sniff on the field".

"Without doubt, it is Dale Steyn. I go back to the WACA (the first Test of the 2016-17 home series against South Africa) when me and Shaun Marsh had to go out for an ugly 45-minute session. Shaun came down to me and said, 'I cannot pull him so I do not know how we are going to go about facing him'. He put me on my backside and I think he broke his shoulder as well that game. He is a fierce competitor who swung the ball back into the left-hander, which is similar to Mitchell Starc swinging the ball back into the right-hander at pace. He was always a fiery customer who never gave you a smile and never gave you an inch or a sniff on the field," recalled the batter.

Warner thanked former Australian batter Greg Chappell for showing faith and belief in his talent. The southpaw recalled that during an Australia A tour of Zimbabwe in 2011, Chappell motivated him that scoring a hundred would change his life and the batter went on to score a double ton.

"I think I owe that to Greg Chappell, who showed belief and faith in my talent and ability and the way that I play the game. In Zimbabwe (on an Australia A tour in 2011) I have a memory of him when I was 40 not out at lunchtime and he comes up to me and goes, 'this innings will change your life if you score a hundred'. I went on to get 200 (211) and he told me, 'I told you so'. I look back at that and they're my fondest memories of how I started," said Warner.

"I got given the opportunity to open in one-day cricket through Dom Thornely (with New South Wales) ... out of nowhere after that Zimbabwe series, I am opening the batting for NSW. From there, it has been quite surreal. I would not have ever imagined opening the batting for NSW or anyone when I first started. But to be here after 112 Tests and coming out for the last time, I am still pinching myself," he added.

Warner, who started out as a white-ball specialist, said that he always trained a lot behind closed doors.

"It means I played a lot of cricket (on being Australia's most successful opener). A lot of training sessions. But you get those accolades if you play a lot of cricket and I think the most satisfying or pleasing thing for me is I have always been able to stay on the park. I have always trained behind closed doors a lot. That's the way I have always done it. I do not hit a lot often. And then when I do hit often for a long period of time it is more for my mind to take away from what's coming up. When I am not in form, I tend to go to the golf course, walk four hours and reflect there on how I am going to go about my business," said Warner.

Warner said that the authorities should make sure that Test cricket is scheduled well and he hopes that the format stays alive.

The southpaw said that partnership batting is something he missed in cricket.

"Look you would like to score a hundred at every venue you play but for me, it is going out there and just playing to the best of your ability and putting your team into a good position. Partnership batting is one thing I think is missed in the game of cricket. We do have a lot of self-accolades, but I think in the stats, the partnerships really tell the right story of a lot of cricket games," said Warner.

"If you look at Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon (to help Australia win by two wickets at Edgbaston last year), in one-day cricket as well 'Maxi' and 'Cummo' (Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins' unbeaten 202-run eighth-wicket stand to beat Afghanistan during the World Cup last year). They are key partnerships and that is how I have seen it. I do not have any wishes that I could have done anything different because I have given it my best," said Warner.

On ending his Test career alongside his childhood friend Usman as his opening partner, Warner said that it is a fairytale ending for him.

"I was saying to Uzzie this morning, in his debut Test I was actually sitting up in one of the boxes (at the SCG) and it was awesome to see. It is a fairytale ending. I do not know too many cricketers who have gone through junior cricket with each other and played at the highest level for a long period of time. Just to see him come back the way he has the last two years has been absolutely amazing. I know his family are proud of him. I am proud of him as a mate. It brought a tear to my eye when he scored that hundred when he first came back (in the 2021-22 Ashes at the SCG). When you are childhood friends and you get to go out here at the SCG (having been here) as kids, dreaming big, it is a great feeling. I love him," concluded Warner.

Australia squad for third Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner.