28 July,2023 04:49 PM IST | London | mid-day online correspondent
David Warner (Pic: AFP)
Ashes 2023: Legendary Australian pacer Glenn McGrath remarked that David Warner's career could be "coming towards an end" unless the veteran opener performs well and scores big in the second innings of the ongoing fifth and final Ashes Test against England.
Warner could only manage 24 in the first innings at The Oval.
The left-handed opener has scored just 225 runs in the nine innings in this Ashes at an average of 25.00, which includes only one half-century (66) that he made during the second Test at Lord's.
"There's a bit of pressure on Dave Warner. He looked ok, but then, got out again. To be honest, I think, unfortunately, that maybe, it's coming towards the end of his career," McGrath told SENQ Breakfast.
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"I know he came out the other day and said he wanted to play it to the end of next summer. But I think the pressure is on him. The vultures are circling. Unless he comes out in the second dig and produces a big score, I think he might struggle," he said.
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With only one century in his last 25 Tests, McGrath thinks that consistency has been an issue with Warner lately, having gotten off to good starts only to give them away.
"Unfortunately, he's got a lot of starts this series and then just gets out. I'm not sure what's there. The timing is not quite there. He had that big innings back in Australia on Boxing Day where he got the 200, but there hasn't been a sort of real big score before or after that for quite some time"
"He's probably feeling the pressure, he still talks it up and says he's going fine and this and that, but he's got to put the runs on the board, unfortunately," he concluded.
Warner had earlier rubbished speculations of his retirement after the last Ashes Test, confirming that he was eager to retire at his home venue, Sydney Cricket Ground, during the Test series against Pakistan later this year.
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(With PTI inputs)
