Ricky Ponting opines on how Warner could have ended his Test career on his own terms

David Warner seems to be going downhill with his Test career. He only managed to score 11 runs over two innings in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and things did not improve for the 36-year-old in the second Test either. He scored a mere 15 runs in the first innings of the second Test before he was dropped from the squad in the second innings due to an injury.

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting recently came forward to give his take on Warner’s Test career. He opined that instead of pushing it to the selectors to bring the curtains down on his career, he himself could have smartly announced his retirement infront of the home crowd in Sydney, after playing his 101st Test against South Africa. Ponting feels that Warner has lost his chance of quitting the game on his own term.

"For him to finish the way he deserves to finish, the obvious thing for me was maybe to pull the pin after Sydney. He got 200 in Melbourne, played his 100th Test, played his 101st Test in Sydney, his home ground, and maybe finish there," Ponting told RSN Cricket.

"The last thing he deserved was to be away on a tour and get into the middle of a series and get dropped, and his career is over. That would be an awful way for him to finish. He’s a driven little man, a pretty stubborn little bugger, so we’ll see how he goes," he added.

The only currency you have as a batsman is runs: Ponting

Despite talks of his retirement from Tests doing the rounds, Warner recently clarified that he has no intentions to retire yet and would like to continue playing until 2024. However, Ponting seems to have his fair share of doubts over Warner's chances. Keeping his form in mind, Ponting also reflected on Warner’s situation regarding the WTC final and The Ashes series. He believes the team could hold on to Warner atleast for the existing cycle.

"I think I’ve heard him talk before about their cycle. This current cycle will finish after the World Test Championship, which is obviously the week before the first Ashes Test, and I would think, all going well, that they want to get David through until the end of that Test match at least," Ponting said.

Although he ultimately left it upto Warner to take the final call, he added that as a batsman, one needs to score runs as that is the only currency that keeps a player going. 

"It's up to him, though. The only currency you have as a batsman is runs, and if you’re not scoring any, you leave yourself open," he added.