Australian David Warner, who was at one time the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, brought his Test cricket career to an end in a blaze of glory. Playing in his last match he hammered 57 off 75 balls with seven hits to the fence. “I hope that I have put a smile on everyone’s face,” were his parting words as he bid farewell to the gathering at the stadium.
But the hard hitting Aussie will be more fondly remembered in Hyderabad than in his home country. The ball tampering case of 2018 refuses to fade from public memory. So will Australia remember Warner a hero or a villain? That remains to be seen. The Guardian newspaper put it in a nutshell by stating: “Warner exits Test stage with a rich tapestry of chaos and artistry.”
As long as he was with Sunrisers, he adapted himself very well to the lifestyle and culture of the twin cities. He loved Telugu films, relished Hyderabadi food (not just biryani but many other dishes too) and made no secret of the fact that he considered this city as a home away from home.
Aussie fans are divided about Warner
But back in his homeland, cricket fans are a divided lot when Warner’s name is being discussed. While some love him there are others who despise him. His role in the infamous ball tampering incident, known as the Sandpaper scandal, has not been forgotten by many people. In the third Test match against South Africa, Australian player Cameron Bancroft used a piece of sandpaper to scrape one side of the ball to make it swing more. Team captain Steve Smith and vice captain David Warner were also found to be involved in the incident.
Both Smith and Warner, being the senior players, were widely criticised. Warner is aware of this and he said yesterday: “Over the years, I know that I have not been everyone’s cup of tea. But I have played as hard as I could and always tried to do the best for my team.”
The ball tampering case is a blot on his cricket career and one fails to understand why a player of his stature stooped to such a low deed. He has an exceptional record in Test cricket and it speaks for his dedication and discipline. He has scored more than 8000 runs with 26 centuries and a top score of 335. So the two aspects of his personality, one of self control and determination and the other of cheating, seem very contrary to each other.
Remarkable cricket achievements
His achievements on the field are remarkable to say the least. He is one of the most successful overseas batsmen in the IPL tournament and has scored over 6,000 runs besides winning the Orange Cap award three times.
He evoked so much faith among the Australian selectors that he became the first Australian cricketer in 132 years to be selected for a national team without prior experience in first class cricket. He was the first Australian batsman to score seven ODI centuries in a calendar year.
Warner and Shane Watson have been the most successful opening pair in T20I history with 1108 runs as partners. Warner was the first Australian batter to reach 1500 runs in T20I cricket. Warner has played 112 Test matches, 121 ODI matches and so far 99 T20I matches. He is planning to continue playing in T20I matches and probably will reach three figures in that format too. It is likely that he will play in this year’s T20 World Cup before leaving all forms of cricket.
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