David Warner record: Australian opener triumphantly closes the curtain on Test career

The many trials, tribulations and successes which have populated David Warner’s Test career for Australia finally came to an end out in the middle of his beloved SCG, as the opener helped guide his side to victory for the final time.

The retiring legend wound back the clock to blast 57 off 75 deliveries and allow the Aussies to ease to an eight wicket win and a 3-0 series clean sweep against Pakistan.

Australian opener David Warner bows out a winner in final Test match

As he soaked up the adoration of the crowd for one final time alongside his great mate Usman Khawaja, who joined him in opening the batting for the 41^st time in Tests, the scene was set.

MORE: Who will replace David Warner as Australia's next Test opener?

Those eager for Warner to post a big score in the first innings had been left wondering if his final appearance in the Baggy Green would prove to be an anti-climax after he had orchestrated his summer swansong six months prior.

The veteran hand-picked the New Year’s Test as his goodbye, and he refused to let his final opportunity to make a mark get the better of him as he went about his task with ruthless efficiency at the crease. 

His final knock in the Test arena was a fitting farewell as he put his foot on the throat of the opposition from the very first moment and never relieved the pressure during what was supposed to be a tricky 130-run chase.

Warner may not have achieved the ultimate fairytale finish of stroking the winning runs through cover, but he got just about as close to a perfect finish as possible.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true,” he told Fox Cricket moments after Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne had ticked off the remaining 11 runs to win the match.

“To come here in front of my home crowd and the support they have shown me and the team over the last decade or so of my career, I can’t thank them enough.”

MORE: David Warner signs off in style as Aussies make light work of Pakistan 

Ahead of his final Test match, Aussie coach Andrew McDonald labelled the left-hander as the country’s greatest-ever three-format player.

He is statistically Australia’s greatest-ever opener after he amassed more runs than any other compatriot at the top of the order.

Warner surpassed fellow former opener Matthew Hayden earlier in the series against Pakistan. He then also jumped ahead of former skipper Michael Clarke to sit in fifth place on the all-time leaderboard for Australian Test match runs. 

Highest Australian Test match run-scorers 

David Warner Test record

Warner's chippy nature and the sandpaper ball-tampering controversy that threatened to prematurely end his Test career, often made him hard to love in the eyes of many. Yet there can be no doubting that his absence will be keenly felt in the Aussie dressing room.

“It’s going to be hard to replace Davey,” skipper and player-of-the-series ,Pat Cummins, said.

“He’s a huge personality. He really sets the game up with the way he plays every time he walks out, so he is going to be huge to replace.”

Warner finished as the second-highest run-scorer of the series with his 299 only bettered by Mitch Marsh’s 344.

Those runs pushed his Test total up to 8,786, at an average of 44.60.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it probably will tomorrow once the hangover goes,” Warner joked when asked to reflect upon his final time in the middle for Australia as one of their Test openers.

“The support has been great and this whole week has been amazing. Pat and the coaching staff have made this a really special week, so I’m appreciative of that.”

The 37-year-old peered down at his tattered cap and was asked to summarise what he felt when he looked at it.

“It’s the same old cliché, but this Baggy Green means the world to all of us,” Warner said. “The pinnacle of cricket is aspiring to get this.”