‘I’m always available…’, David Warner offers to step in as opener in place of Steve Smith for India series

David Warner has offered to return as an opener for Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, despite retiring from Test cricket earlier this year.

New Delhi: Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), Australia faces a significant challenge in finding a reliable opening partner for Usman Khawaja, following David Warner’s retirement. Warner stepped away from Test cricket in January after the series against Pakistan, but in a surprising turn of events, he has announced his readiness to return to the format.

David Warner has expressed his genuine intention to return to Test cricket, emphasizing that he has as much match practice as the other players in the squad. The 37-year-old disclosed that he had reached out to Australian coach Andrew McDonald via text, indicating his readiness for a comeback. Warner also mentioned that he would participate in the next round of Sheffield Shield matches if the team requires his services.

“I’m always available, just got to pick up the phone. I’m always dead serious. Let’s be honest, the guys have played one red ball game (first round of the shield) since their last Test matches in February, so I’ve almost had the same preparation.

“Honestly, if they really needed myself for this series, I’m more than happy to play the next Shield game and go out there and play.I did retire for the right reasons to finish the game, and I wanted to finish. (But) my hand is up if they desperately need someone. I’m not going to shy away from that,” said Warner to NewsCorp.

“I’ve cheekily messaged both. I’ve spoken to Torch (McDonald) and his answer back to me was; ‘you retired. “I don’t think he wants to give me the pleasure of him saying; ‘can you come back?’,” Warner added.

After David Warner’s retirement, Australia made the unexpected decision to promote Steve Smith to the opening position. However, the star batter faced difficulties in the role, managing only 171 runs in eight innings across four Tests, with a modest average of 28.50 and a single half-century.

The Australian selectors have confirmed that Steve Smith will return to his usual number four spot for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. Cameron Green, who filled in at number four against the West Indies and New Zealand, will miss the series due to undergoing back surgery.

David Warner had initially announced his retirement from both ODI and Test cricket, though he left the possibility open to participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy. The 2024 T20 World Cup marked his final appearance in the shortest format, likely concluding his international career. Warner ranks as Australia’s fifth-highest run-scorer in Test history, with 8,786 runs in 112 matches at an average of 44.59, including 26 centuries.