Ashes: Oval test could be David Warner’s last, says Glenn McGrath

McGrath said that the Australian opener needs to make something significant in the second inning; otherwise, this could be his last test.

David Warner made 24 of 52 balls in the first innings.

At the beginning of last month, Warner announced that Australia’s home series against Pakistan would be his last, which will be played later this year. This will make the ongoing fifth Test at The Oval his last overseas match. This will also be his last chance to score his maiden Test century on English soil.

McGrath, speaking on SENQ Breakfast, said that although Warner seemed fine during his first innings at the Oval, he eventually got out again. “He looked ok (in the first innings at the Oval) but then got out again. To be honest, I think, unfortunately, that maybe it’s coming towards the end of his career,” said McGrath.

In England’s first innings, both Warner and Usman Khawaja had a good 30-odd overs to play. Although they performed well for most of it, Warner was dismissed by Woakes, caught by Crawley at second slip, continuing the pattern of getting out in a similar fashion, which has become a recurring issue for the Australian veteran, especially in England. McGrath noted that Warner’s desire to play until the next home summer and retire from Tests at his home ground in Sydney against Pakistan might not be supported by his recent performances. While Warner has been middling the ball, he hasn’t managed to convert those starts into significant scores, putting pressure on the middle order. The former seamer emphasized that unless Warner delivers a substantial score in the second innings of the current Test, he might struggle to retain his place in the team. McGrath pointed out that Warner has had many starts throughout the series but has failed to capitalise on them.

The fifth test in the Ashes series, started on July 27. England made 283 in its first innings.