Did we expect anything less? Forget the sandpaper scandal and forget Stuart Broad with a Dukes ball, David Warner is back home and making runs for fun.
Except for a brief post-lunch lull where the teenage debutant Naseem Shah was a legal delivery away from having his wicket, the 33-year-old was in total command against an inexperienced Pakistan attack, knocking up a colossal unbeaten 151.
So remarkable is Warner’s record at home is that he has never averaged less than 47.80 in an Australian summer. Despite his Ashes woes, his selection for the Gabba Test was in little doubt, particularly with a Shield hundred and imperious displays in the early summer T20 internationals under his belt. The quicker wickets and relative lack of movement plays right into his natural game. Even New Zealand’s vaunted pace attack will find it tough if Warner gets through the new ball.
Outside Australia, though, Warner’s record is problematic.
In 41 Tests outside Australia, Warner averages just 34.50. Three of his six away centuries have come in South Africa, where conditions replicate home. He has also managed two in Bangladesh – admittedly fine efforts in turning and tricky conditions – and one on the benign tracks of the UAE.
Take those countries out of the equation, and it gets uglier. Across 31 Tests, Warner averages 27.16 in Sri Lanka, 26.9 in the Caribbean, 26.04 in England, 24.25 in India, and just 13 in New Zealand. The sample size is large enough to suggest the numbers aren’t outliers. Pace or spin, if the ball is doing a bit, Warner usually isn’t.
(Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Fortunately for Warner, Australia typically struggles with the notion of horses for courses when it comes to batting, favouring a stable top six that can experience – and hopefully adapt to – a range of conditions. When it does dabble with the concept, it’s generally on flat or spin-friendly subcontinental tracks, and typically only when there is already a vacancy. If the horse has success, the next course is overlooked, often to the team’s detriment.
Take Aaron Finch for example. With incumbent openers Warner and Cameron Bancroft suspended and no standout contenders, Finch vaulted into the Test team off the back of strong white-ball form. No problems on UAE pitches resembling concrete, but early promise meant he was retained as an opener for the next home series when a return to his usual middle order posting would have been more appropriate. The subsequent failure was as predictable as it was spectacular.
So, Warner enters each winter with plenty of runs in the bank, plus a game-changing reputation that precedes him. Any struggles are quickly forgotten, because soon enough it’s summer and the runs are flowing again. The reputation is blindly backed in, as he is only ever one innings, catch or run out from playing the decisive hand in the next victory. This distinction explains why a more dour operator like Usman Khawaja – another batsman with polarising home and away records – is considered to be dispensable.
This is nothing new. Doug Walters was a trailblazer for aggressive Test batting. Like Warner, he had the ability to turn a match on its head with a century in a session. Walters’s reputation also granted him chances afforded to few others. Across four England tours, he averaged just 25.68 over 18 Tests, with no centuries. A fifth tour was not forthcoming, despite a 1980-81 summer where he averaged over 63, ending his career at 35.
Australia has no scheduled Test assignments to Warner’s bogey countries until 2022, when he too will be 35. As long as his home form holds true, tough calls on his touring future can wait until then.
anon
Roar Pro
Do I?
anon
Roar Pro
Where's my humble pie champ?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Agree but no Warner in England from here on in, he’s a write off, worst series in cricketing history for an opener. He can not play in England again period .
Pierro
Roar Rookie
couldn't agree more, Aussie was trippling the openers scores or more on a few occasions.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
They’ve been competitive Simoc in last two series but Aus has generally been good enough to beat them and now Australias bowling is even stronger as is the batting right now on home soil I would think . I expect NZ to push Australia way more than Pakistan but Australia on home soil should be taking the chocolates per the track record , but the fact Australia has binned the WACA and now has two DN matches and the Kiwi games are not at our stronghold grounds (perth being a new stadium) gives them a little more assistance than in the past. Perth DN, MCG and SCG are not the best grounds to face NZ actually but we should still account for them . The aussies may want to consider playing a few players on their home pitches (bancroft at perth and Pattinson at MCG, and maybe Swepson at SCG but not sure the selectors are on the case for it ) Next season against India and SA away are definitely tougher encounters.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Well Aware of the english match and a great win for the kiwis on home soil , and have never called NZ a minnow so I wouldn’t agree with that precise wording but fact remains SA and India have recently won tests series in Australia , NZ have only ever one once in Aus in 1985. Pakistan have generally been poor in Australia in touring. Also your actually wrong about saying NZ have not stood up to us. NZ have stood up to us in 2011 the drew the series in Australia , in 2015 the went down 2 nil but weren’t far off at leveling in Adelaide in the DN it got close, I was there and the third test was drawn. However, India and SA have won series in Australia recently , next summer will be tougher against India whatever way you spin it . The drop in pitches have made it a but easier for foreign opposition too I might add as well as getting rid of the WACA so there are some other considerations but this years series is easier than hosting India and going back to SA next summer without a shadow of a doubt
Jero
Roar Rookie
Seems like you want to drop him at all costs and replace him with someone, anyone, regardless of merit, ahead of schedule. If there's ever a time when he will get picked on merit, it's for a domestic Test series. When we're hosting India next summer, prior to which our only tour is a short one to Bangladesh where Warner did actually succeed last time, it's not hard to join the dots as to what we can realistically expect at the top of the order. Stability, for the first time in a long time. As for what happens beyond next summer, that's a future conversation. If there's one thing that will make the transition towards finding Warner's successor easier, it will be Burns really consolidating his spot. If Bancroft's more your cup of tea, then hopefully it all happens sooner rather than later. Otherwise, maybe be careful what you wish for.
Nick
Roar Guru
I have no issue if he's selected on merit. You, however, choose to overlook merit and fact when you defend him
Jero
Roar Rookie
Just alerting you as to what you can reasonably expect, so that you don't have a further melt down. You know which way the wind is blowing, you just have to learn to live with it. Which seems highly unlikely. You can carry on about it as long as you like, but I'm pretty damned sure the selectors are on a completely different page to you. Particularly if Burns and Warner mesh. But if kicking up a song and dance about things beyond your control is your thing, go hard. Life's too short.
Raimond
Roar Guru
I doubt anyone thought that Pakistan would do any good here.
Nick
Roar Guru
Hayden and Langer have superior records. Longevity is important. Hayden for all his home town bullying, still has centuries in key overseas outposts. An extraordinary double in India being arguably his greatest knock. But yeah, Mr I average in my 20's in England and India is clearly a better opener than Hayden or Langer.
Nick
Roar Guru
Lol...you've just said we should wait, and look you've all but picked him based on a performance from what will be 3 years ago when the next tour starts. Bravo, sir. I salute you.
JamesH
Roar Guru
People get too worked up about Warner's average overseas. Yes, the gap between his home and away averages is significant, but averaging 35 overseas as an opener is perfectly reasonable. Even his average in England was, from memory, around 37-38 before that nightmare series. Warner's away average probably stops him from being marked as a 'great' batsman. It doesn't mean he isn't still a very good one.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
The next Test match in England that Australia could play in will be two years before the next away Ashes.
Jero
Roar Rookie
I hope the idea of waiting until the next Test tour before picking a squad isn't too juvenile for you. Bangladesh, midway next year for two Tests. Where Warner scored a patient century on his last visit there. You can rail against Warner all you like, if it pleases you.
old timer
Guest
Warner doesn't owe you or anyone else anything, and he wasn't the only opener to go badly in England. As others have said who are the other openers that you would replace him with?
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
It will be interesting to see if the selectors select the next Ashes ( in England) team based on previous precedents. Khawaja has been left out of Asia tours because of his record. With a three time proven poor record, will Warner be left out of the next Ashes in England?
anon
Roar Pro
People were talking about Pakistan but I said we'd smash them no problem.
matth
Roar Guru
I don’t have the stats but I’d imagine in all of history there wouldn’t be a huge number of openers to average over 50 at home and 45 overall. Maybe Gavaskar and Hayden and before that you’d have to probably go right back to when cricket was essentially England and Australia (Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Morris)
matth
Roar Guru
Marsh is certainly value in Sri Lanka, but his record in England is not worth pursuing at his age