"A dream come true": David Warner brings the curtain down on Test career

Warner, who has retired from Test and ODI cricket, scored a half-century at the SCG as Australia beat Pakistan by eight wickets in his 112th and final Test. He hopes to be remembered as "exciting" and "entertaining"

Elizabeth Botcherby | 06/01/2024 at 14:58

David Warner brought the curtain down on his Test career with a half-century at the SCG.

The opener, playing in his 112th and final Test, scored 57 runs off 75 balls as Australia beat Pakistan by eight wickets and wrapped up a 3-0 series win.

Warner, who made his debut against New Zealand in December 2011, finishes with 8,786 Test runs at 44.59, including 26 centuries, 37 half-centuries and a high score of 335 not out, which he scored against Pakistan in Adelaide in 2019.

Only Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Steve Smith have scored more Test runs for Australia.

On the eve of his final Test, Warner confirmed he was also retiring from ODI cricket, with November's World Cup final victory over India his final outing in the format.

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^{Warner leaves the field in his 112th and final Test [David Traynor/Getty Images]}

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^{Warner has also retired from ODI cricket [R Satish Babu/Getty Images]}

Between 2009 and 2023, he scored 6,932 runs at 45.30 in 161 ODIs, including 22 centuries and 33 half-centuries, and he retires as Australia's sixth-highest run-scorer. A two-time Cricket World Cup winner, he helped Australia lift the trophy in 2015 and 2023.

"It's pretty much a dream come true. Win 3-0 and cap off what's been a great 18 months to two years for the Australian cricket team," Warner said after the match.

"On the back of the World Test Championship win, Ashes series draw, and then the World Cup, and then to come here and finish 3-0 is an outstanding achievement and I'm just proud to be with a bunch of great cricketers here."

Though he'll be remembered as a prolific run-scorer, particularly on home soil where he averaged 57.85 in Tests and 47.07 in ODIs, Warner will forever be linked to the 2018 ball tampering scandal when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to rough up one side of the ball in the third Test against South Africa.

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^{Warner won two Cricket World Cups with Australia [Punit Paranpje/Getty Images]}

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^{Warner won the World Test Championship with Australia in June 2023 [Justin Setterfield/Getty Images]}

Warner and Steve Smith, who were vice-captain and captain, respectively, were banned from international and domestic for 12 months by Cricket Australia, with Warner also told he wouldn't be considered for a leadership position again.

Following his return to the international stage in 2019, Warner played 38 Tests and 55 ODIs, averaging 37.27 and 48.84, respectively. He remains involved with the T20I side.

Asked how he wants to be remembered, Warner said: "[As] exciting, entertaining, and I hope I put a smile on everyone's face with the way that I played.

"Hopefully the young kids out there can follow in my footsteps: white-ball cricket to Test cricket. It's the pinnacle of our sport. So keep working hard to play the red-ball game because it's entertaining as well."