David Warner fails again before his 100th Test on Boxing Day

• David Warner has failed with the bat for the 10th consecutive innings.
• He was out for three runs before being struck by Kagiso Rabada.
• Ricky Ponting said that he deserves to retire the way he wants to.

As pressure rises on the experienced opener ahead of his 100th Test match on Boxing Day, David Warner has failed with the bat once more. The left-hander suffered another golden duck in the first innings before being struck by Kagiso Rabada, a South African pacer, for three runs.

His departure occurred in the midst of the hosts’ bizarre top-order collapse, which saw them slip to 4-24 on the harshly criticised green Gabba surface before eventually chasing down the meagre score of 35 with six wickets remaining. The 36-year-test old’s innings without a half-century or triple figures were his 10th consecutive and 28th overall. This summer, he has only collected six hits and 105 runs, averaging 17.5.

Ricky Ponting, a legend in Australia, stated that although Warner should be looking to the future, he deserves to retire the way he wants to. Ponting remarked, “He is a champion player; you never write off champion players, ever.”

“We all want to see him score runs, but he is going through a lean trot right now.

“He deserves to leave on his terms when he’s finished. He’s been an incredible pillar of Australian cricket.

“For David, that is the most discouraging thing. He scored those 20s, was given the opportunity to bowl against the West Indies, but chose not to continue as everyone else at the top took advantage of the West Indian team’s weakness.

“He merits the opportunity to complete in the manner that he chooses. I would hate for him to begin the Ashes tour or an Indian tour just to get the tap on the shoulder. It would be unfortunate if his career ended like that.

The only other player whose position is seriously in doubt is in-form seamer Scott Boland, who may be replaced at the MCG by Josh Hazlewood, who is making strong progress in his recovery from a side strain.

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