David Warner, who never thought he would play one Test, is set to play his 100th on Monday

“I did not think I would play one Test, leave alone one hundred. So you can well understand what it means to me and my family. I feel privileged, humbled and fulfilled,” was how David Warner reacted when asked about his state of mind ahead of his 100th Test appearance.

For Warner things have been a roller coaster. When he made his international debut in 2009 with a whirlwind 89 off 43 balls in a T20I against South Africa, he was stamped as a white-ball specialist. He wasn’t suited for Test cricket was the argument. Who first made the argument we don’t really know. It took him two years to break the perception and make his red-ball debut for Australia against New Zealand.

People have written Warner off multiple times in his career. When he was sent back home after he punched England’s Joe Root in a bar in Birmingham, many thought it was over for him. “I was at my lowest back then. That’s when I met Candice and she changed everything for me. I was never a morning person. I had discipline issues. She made me get into a routine. Value my training and my fitness. Instilled the hunger in me that I had lost. Helped me cope with the negativity and I emerged a better person,” said Warner.

With most, such things happen once. With Warner the nightmare repeated itself in 2018 with the Sandpapergate. The decision to not allow Warner to play IPL 2018 was the last straw. “I am not sure what I need to do or should do. I don’t know if this is the real me. I have a family to look after and that’s all I want to do. There are people outside the house every single day. It is tough,” a devastated Warner had told this writer, his voice barely audible.

It’s not possible to imagine what he and his family were going through. He had not put on a bold face. But he was hurting. Here was someone who aspired to be Australia captain and was at the top of his game. All of a sudden he was told he will never be the captain. Even his international career was uncertain. All that could go wrong had gone wrong for Warner.

And yet again, he did not give up. “It was rough. But I don’t regret anything. I am not perfect. I never claimed I was. You learn and you get better. That’s why we are human. Else we would be gods,” Warner said before adding, “We play to entertain. We play to push for excellence. In 2018, I was working the hardest and training the hardest I ever did. I did not miss a single day. I was batting extremely well in the nets and it was only a matter of time before it all started to work out. So yes, while it hurt, I knew I would have another opportunity. Sport is a great leveller and if you are true to the sport and keep working hard you will always have a second chance. I just wanted to keep working the hardest and stay true. I am glad it worked out for me.”

And this time round, the comeback was the best one could imagine. Tons of runs across all three formats, player of the tournament in the 2021 T20 World Cup and there was no looking back for Warner. And in the middle of all this, Warner the entertainer was also gaining in strength. For all his fans in India, his dance moves are special.
“We just love India. The kind of affection we get from Indian people is incomparable. In fact, when we do some of these dance moves, the number of requests we would get is staggering. People think these moves can be mastered easily but trust me, they take days! But the entire process is so much fun,” said Warner.

His wife Candice, who is perhaps the greatest influence on him, said, “More importantly these dance things have brought us together as a family. The children love doing these things. During Covid, doing these things was like a breath of fresh air. The times were hard on everyone and you needed things to do as a family to stay close. It really helped us and will always be special to me.”

Unlike some others, Warner may never be perfect. And that’s probably his charm. He will continue to seek perfection while being imperfect and in doing so continue to inspire. Hundred Tests don’t come easy. Add his records in white-ball (ODIs, T20Is and IPL) cricket and you have a once in a generation player. So what if he is not perfect. As David says, “All I want to do is stay true to my sport and continue to entertain for as long as I can.”

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