3 players who can replace David Warner in Tests

David Warner (Photo Source: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

David Warner’s days in Test cricket are numbered. The Australia star, who has struggled with his form in red-ball cricket in recent months, has already expressed his desire of retiring from Tests during the next home season. Warner wants to bow out of Test cricket in front of his home crowd in Sydney after the New Year’s Test against Pakistan.

Warner might not have performed well in Tests in recent months but he has really been a key member of Australia’s Test team since making his debut in 2011. So far, he has played 105 Tests for his country and has scored more than 8000 runs with the help of 25 centuries and 34 half-centuries.

Replacing a player of Warner’s skillset will definitely be a herculean task for any team in the world, let alone Australia. Fortunately for Australia, they do have some fine options to replace the veteran opener. Through this article, we are taking a look at three players who can replace Warner in Australia’s Test team as an opener.

3 Players Who Can Replace David Warner In Australia’s Test Team

3. Cameron Bancroft

Cameron Bancroft. (Photo Source:  Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Cameron Bancroft is not new to international cricket. The opening batter made his debut for Australia in 2017 in the Ashes and impressed by playing an 82-run knock in his maiden Test. He went on to play in all the five Tests in the Ashes.

But few months later, his international career hit a shocking roadblock as he was involved in the infamous sandpaper scandal where the cameras caught him rubbing the ball with sandpaper. Later, he admitted to ball-tampering and was banned for 9 months by Cricket Australia. In 2019, he was named in Australia’s squad for the Ashes series but was dropped soon after failing to impress.

Bancroft, however, has continued to impress in domestic circuit and was the highest run-scorer in the last edition of the Sheffield Shield. He finished the 2022-23 season with an impressive 945 runs at an average of 59.06. He was expected to be a part of Australia’s squad for the Ashes 2023 but was eventually overlooked. Bancroft could be an ideal candidate to replace Warner.

2. Will Pucovski

Will Pucovski. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Will Pucovksi is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in Australia. The opening batter has made an impressive start to his first-class as well as international career but is yet to hit the top gear due to several reasons, notably repeated concussion troubles as well as some personal reasons. The right-handed batter has taken several breaks from the game.

In October last year, he took an indefinite break from the game and is yet to return to action. Prior to that, he played 29 first-class games and scored 2008 runs at an average of almost 50. He has scored six centuries and eight fifties in red-ball cricket so far.

In 2021, he made his Test debut against India and impressed straightaway by playing a knock of 62 runs. The opening batter has not played another Test since his debut. Australian cricket will be hoping that the youngster returns soon and serves their team.

1. Henry Hunt

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Henry Hunt is another option to replace David Warner in Australia’s Test team. Unlike Bancroft and Pucovski, Hunt is yet to play international cricket but has managed to impress with his exploits in first-class cricket. The 26-year old made his first-class debut in 2019 for South Australia and has grown from strength to strength since then.

He scored his maiden century in first-class cricket in just his fourth match. It was a century to remember as his 132-run knock and the 293-run partnership with Jake Weatherald broke the 52-year-old record for the highest opening partnership for South Australia in first-class cricket. A couple of years later, he was named the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year for his performance in 2021-22 season.

It was followed by a call-up for Australia A. He has been dubbed as a potential long-term Test opener in the Australian cricketing circle for quite some time now and could be the man to open the innings once Warner decides to hang up his boots.