The chance to play in the World Test Championship finalagainst India at the Oval in June now looms as a possible end point for Warner’s days as a Test cricketer,with a poor away record against England hanging over both Warner and the selectors.
Head coach Andrew McDonald spoke frankly of the possibility of Warner’s Test career finishing without the traditional storybook ending at the SCG,against Pakistan next January.
His halting displays in India,before Travis Head moved up the order and played with the freedom of a younger man as Warner convalesced,have not helped the 36-year-old’s case for another Ashes series in England because they showed how hard it can be to reverse career trends so late in the chapter.
“I think you work through that conversation,and how each player finishes is always different,” McDonald said of Warner. “Some want to go out in a certain way,and others are OK with potentially being dropped out of sides. But at the moment Dave’s fully in our plans for the World Test Championship,he’s coming back for the one-day series,he’s recovered from his injury there,so we’ll see Dave back in Australian colours on the 17th and we’ll go from there.
“We are continually talking to our senior players with what they have coming up. Juggling the schedule that’s in front of us. We are staring down 274 days on the road – 144 for the red-ball team,130 for the white-ball team.
“So there’s going to be some give and take within that. We have some great depth,got coverage in all areas and we are always talking to our senior players with where they are at in regards to their careers.”