Ricky Ponting hopes Warner reconsiders Test future after golden duck at Gabba
Ricky Ponting has asked for David Warner to reconsider his Test future, while teammate Nathan Lyon and head coach Andrew McDonald continue their backing for the opener, who has endured a poor run in the format in recent times.
Warner was out for a golden duck in Australia’s first innings on the opening day of the first ongoing Test against South Africa at The Gabba, Brisbane. The left-hander was surprised by a brilliant bouncer from Kagiso Rabada, and the ball lobbed off from the splice off his bat through to short-leg, where Khaya Zondo took a brilliant one-handed catch.
Zondo pulls it in! 😱
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2022
Rabada removes Warner off the first ball of the innings! #PlayOfTheDay #AUSvSA | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/7nwJkAqD0X
That further extended Warner’s lean run in Test cricket, with him having aggregated 368 runs at 21.64 in the format this year. His last hundred in Tests dates back to January 2020.
Ponting feels that Warner should give his Test future a thought ahead of the tough away assignments against India and England next year.
"I think what he should be doing is being as realistic and looking to the future as he can," Ponting said on Channel 7. "Like I said before, he deserves the chance to finish the way he wants to finish. I would hate to see him get to an Indian tour or at the start of the Ashes tour and then get the tap on the shoulder. That would be a disappointing way for his career to end…it might be after the Sydney Test. Let's wait and see. Also, I hope that he gets some runs between now and then."
Meanwhile, Lyon, who bagged 3/14 in South Africa’s first innings effort of 152 all-out, backed Warner to rediscover his best, while coach McDonald too, extended his support.
"We all know the X-Factor of cricketer that David Warner is and the type of batter he is," Lyon said. "He's got 100% support of the changing room and [that] should be the whole Australian public, to be honest with you. Yes, he got a good steep bouncer today but that was a hell of a catch to hang onto. I'm expecting David to come out and do amazing things."
"He's eager to continue on at this stage. He has not hinted [at] anything else," McDonald said. "His appetite for the work - in and around training - is still there. He's busy at the crease, and you've seen signs that he is going well. He's just found different ways to get out, and sometimes that can happen."