Warner bows out in style on home patch

– Australian opener David Warner (right) drew the curtain Saturday on his 112-Test career with a swashbuckling 57 against Pakistan, leaving his home Sydney Cricket Ground to a standing ovation.

The polarising 37-year-old was dismissed lbw by spinner Sajid Khan in the third Test, slamming seven boundaries in a 75-ball stay.

Warner’s typically pugnacious knock helped the hosts to an eight-wicket victory and series clean sweep.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true to win 3-0 and cap off what has been a great 18 months to two years for the Australian team,” said Warner, who made his debut in 2011.

“I’m just proud to be with a bunch of great cricketers. These guys – they work their backsides off.

“To come here in front of my home crowd and the support they have shown me and the team over the last decade of my career, I can’t thank them enough,” he told broadcaster Fox Sports, where he will now work as a commentator.

Asked how he would like to be remembered, he replied: “Exciting, entertaining and I hope I put a smile on everyone’s face with the way that I played.”

One of the finest openers cricket has known, Warner departed the red-ball game after plundering 8 786 runs at an average of 44.60, with a strike rate of 70.20.

He blasted 26 centuries and 37 half-centuries.

A larger-than-life character, Warner also collected 91 catches as one of the most consistent slip fielders in cricket.

Australian coach Andrew McDonald described Warner before the Test started as “probably our greatest-ever three-format player” and skipper Pat Cummins said he will be a huge loss.

“It’s going to be hard to replace Davey, he has basically played every game for the last dozen years,” said Cummins.

“He’s a huge personality, he really sets the game up with the way he plays every time he walks out, so he is going to be huge to replace.”

Warner last week also announced his retirement from one-day international cricket but is expected to continue in the Twenty20 format.

Childhood friend and longtime opening partner Usman Khawaja said it had been an emotional day.

“It’s been a long journey and it’s bizarre. Everything comes to an end, but you never think it will,” he said.

“I’m really proud, particularly the way Davey went out and batted today, entertaining right to the very end.”

While a great with the bat, Warner’s exploits will forever be overshadowed by the role he played in the notorious “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering scandal of 2018, where he and Steve Smith were suspended for a year by Cricket Austrlia. –