Ashes 2021-22: Times when David Warner was dismissed off no-balls in Tests

Bowling a no-ball is indeed a crime as this error of a bowler cause a team big time. How often we have seen batters getting out on no-balls and getting a lifeline after third umpire checks the bowlers’ front foot? Australian opener David Warner has indeed been a lucky many in this regard. The ongoing opening Ashes Test saw the southpaw getting out on no-ball for the fifth time in his Test career.

While the dasher went onto score a hundred on the four previous occasions, he got out on 94 in the Brisbane Test. It was England all-rounder Ben Stokes who committed the massive mistake at the Gabba. He cleaned up Warner’s stumps when the veteran was batting at 17. While the 34-year-old was heading towards the dug-out, the umpires called them back with the big screen showing Stokes crossing the line.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time when luck rode on Warner’s favour.  As mentioned above, he got as many as four reprieves on previous occasions in Test matches. As the dasher played another gets the lifeline once again, let’s look at the previous occasions.

Previous four times when David Warner was dismissed off a no-ball in Tests:

1. Versus India in 2014

It was the first Test of India’s 2014 tour of Australia and the venue was Brisbane. Warner was on a roll as he slammed centuries in both innings. However, his second ton would have been avoided if Varun Aaron hadn’t crossed the line. The pacer cleaned Warner’s stumps when the latter was batting at 66. However, the dasher got a lifeline and went onto slam a match-winning 102.

2. Versus Pakistan in 2016

India’s arch-rivals Pakistan have also regretted after giving David Warner a reprieve in the 2016 Boxing Day Test. Left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz cleaned Warner’s stumps with a 150 kmph thunderbolt. The southpaw’s stay would have ended at 81 but the on-field umpire immediately signaled a no-ball and Warner went onto score 144.

3. Versus England in 2017

Stokes is not the first England bowler to gift Warner a lifeline. Tom Curran committed the same mistake in the 2017 Ashes Test in Melbourne. Standing in his debut game, Curran had dismissed Warner for 99 and the southpaw seemed devastated. However, the southpaw was revived after the third umpire was referred to check the no ball. Warner went onto score 103.

4. Versus Pakistan in 2019

Another Pakistani and another debutant on this no-elite-list is Pakistan’s pace-sensation Naseem Shah. Standing in his maiden Test match in Brisbane in 2019, the speedster dismissed Warner when he was batting at 56. However, it was a no-ball and Warner went onto slam a match-winning 154 at the Gabba.