Ashes 2023: ‘Vultures are circling’: McGrath says 5th Test might be Warner’s last unless he goes big in the second innings

New Delhi: Ex-Australia pacer Glenn McGrath has said David Warner’s Test career is “coming towards an end” after the veteran opener’s failure on Day 1 of the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval.

McGrath also indicated that the 36-year-old Warner might not get a chance to play his farewell Test in Sydney next year if he fails to get a big score in the second innings at The Oval.

Warner was dismissed for 24 in Australia’s first innings in the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval on Thursday, taking his series tally to 225 runs from nine knocks at an average of 25.00.

Before the fifth Test, Warner dismissed rumours he was going to call it quits at the end of the Ashes, maintaining he wanted to play the home Test series against Pakistan and retire at the SCG.

But McGrath has expressed concerns that if Warner doesn’t score significantly in the second innings, he might find it challenging to secure a spot in another Test match.

“There’s a bit of pressure on Dave Warner. He looked ok (in the first innings at the Oval), but then got out again. To be honest, I think, unfortunately, that maybe it’s coming towards the end of his career.

“I know he came out the other day and said he wanted to play it to the end of next summer. But I think the pressure is on him, the vultures are circling. Unless he comes out in the second dig and produces a big score, I think he might struggle,” McGrath said on SENQ Breakfast.

McGrath believes that in order to prolong his Test career, Warner must put runs on the board consistently, given that he has only managed to a century in one out of his last 25 matches.

“Unfortunately, he’s got a lot of starts this series and then just gets out. I’m not sure what’s there, the timing is not quite there. He had that big innings back in Australia on Boxing Day where he got the 200, but there hasn’t been a sort of real big score before or after that for quite some time.

“He’s probably feeling the pressure, he still talks it up and says he’s going fine and this and that, but he’s got to put the runs on the board unfortunately,” McGrath said.

–IANS