I had Lord's penciled in as my last Test: David Warner

Ace Australia batter David Warner has disclosed that he had planned to retire from Test cricket during last year's Ashes series after being criticized for his poor form in the format. He admitted that he did not contribute much to the side and had decided to call his time after the second match of the Ashes at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground.

The veteran is currently playing his farewell Test series, where his last game in the format will come when Australia take on Pakistan in the third and final match in Sydney. The southpaw acknowledged that the team's form would play a part in Sydney and he is expecting that his side can whitewash the series 3-0.  

"I said quite clearly in England before the World Test Championship, there was a lot of talk about me and my form, [and] I wanted to nip it in the bud early, I said my ideal preparation to finish would be Sydney. But I actually had Lord's penciled in as my last Test, especially if I didn't go as well as I did as a partnership with Uzzie [Usman Khawaja] at the top of the order," Warner said on Monday as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"Then from there it just followed on that we played some good innings together. I didn't have that hundred [in England] that I always wanted but eluded me. But as a team and as a whole we did our bit, so to get this ending is awesome, but it's not about me, it's about us. We've won the series, but to win 3-0 and have a whitewash here at the SCG would be a great thing for the team," he added.

Warner, renowned for his extraordinary batting prowess, has firmly cemented his status as an all-format player. With a stellar career spanning 111 Test matches, the 37-year-old has amassed an impressive total of 8695 runs at an average of 44.58 thus far. In addition, he played a pivotal role in Australia's triumphant journey in the 2023 ODI World Cup, finishing as Australia's top run-scorer in the tournament. Beyond the realm of international cricket, Warner has enjoyed a prolific T20 career, particularly in the high-profile Indian Premier League (IPL).