"That way, they are moving forwards"- Jason Gillespie feels Australia should drop David Warner if they win the Headingley Test
Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie reckons Australia need to leave out veteran opener David Warner if they are able to win the third Ashes 2023 Test in Headingley and seal the series.
Warner has just managed a half-century in the three Tests so far and Gillespie feels blooding someone younger like Matt Renshaw would be ideal for the Aussies for the final two Tests.
In his column for the Daily Mail on Sunday, here's what Jason Gillespie wrote about David Warner:
"Personally, I am a bit torn over what Australia should do. Part of me thinks they should maybe make a change if Australia seal the series by winning this Test. That way, they are moving forwards and they get to take a look at someone else. For me, that would mean Matt Renshaw coming in, rather than reshuffling the order."
Gillespie also explained why Warner's plan of retiring from Test cricket early next year may not go as per plan. He added:
"Dave has laid out his ideal plan to retire from Test cricket after the Sydney Test against Pakistan in January. But I would be surprised if he makes that. Runs are your currency and, while Dave has got a lot of credit in the bank and is one of the best players Australia has had when you don’t perform over a period of time, those credits dry up."
Jason Gillespie on David Warner's slip catching
While Jason Gillespie does feel Australia will need to move on from David Warner at some point, he reckons they may not be able to replace his sensational slip-catching ability.
On this, Gillespie stated:
"When Dave does go, one thing that will be missed is his exceptional slip catching. I don’t remember him missing too many. You might have someone who can average 10 runs more than you, but if they shell a couple of chances and they cost you big runs, you are in the negative. Someone who can catch them at slip is like gold dust."
It will be interesting to see how long the Australian selectors continue to trust Warner.