David Warner Credits Virender Sehwag For Success In Tests

David Warner, on Saturday, registered his name in the record books after playing a monumental knock of 335 not out against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval. The Australia opener has been in stunning form in the ongoing home season and made the most of it in the ongoing game. He rarely looked in trouble against Pakistan’s toothless attack.

Facing 418 balls in more than nine hours at the crease, the left-hander became the seventh Australian to reach triple figures and only the third to score more than 250 twice, joining former captains Don Bradman and Michael Clarke. He pulled seamer Mohammad Abbas for four to reach the milestone, eclipsing Don Bradman’s unbeaten 299 against South Africa in 1932, the previous highest score at the Adelaide Oval.

David Warner had the opportunity to break Brian Lara’s record of highest score in a Test innings but captain Tim Paine decided to declare the innings. Paine’s decision did attract criticism but it has put Australia on the path to victory. At the end of day two, the hosts reduced Pakistan to 96 for 6 to brighten up their chances of another big win.

David Warner on Virender Sehwag:

Looking back at David Warner’s career, very few would have backed him to do well in Tests. The southpaw arrived at the scene as a hard-hitter and quickly earned the reputation of a T20 specialist. In fact, Warner himself doubted his abilities as a Test cricketer. However, one man who was confident that Warner would succeed in Tests was none other than India’s legendary batsman Virender Sehwag.

Warner recalled a candid chat with Virender Sehwag during his stint for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in IPL and revealed how the latter told him he could succeed in Tests. Warner said he did not foresee a future for him as a Test batsman during the early stages of his career but Sehwag changed his perception.

“When I met Virender Sehwag while playing for Delhi in the IPL, he sat down to me and said I will be a better Test player than a Twenty 20 player. I said ‘you’re out of your mind, I’ve not played many first-class games’,” Warner said.

“He always said ‘they will have slips and gully, covers open, mid-wicket stay there. mid-off and mid-on will be up, you can get off to a flier and sit there all day and you’ll be picking them all off’. That’s always stuck in my mind, it sounded very easy when we were discussing then,” he added.

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