David Warner: Australia's Explosive Opener — 335* Test Triple Century, ODI Average 45, Sandpaper Ban
David Andrew Warner is an Australian opening batsman born on 27 October 1986 in Paddington, New South Wales. He made his T20I debut in January 2009 and his Test debut in January 2011. A left-hand opening batsman, Warner is known for his aggressive style — he attacks from the first ball, regularly scoring at a strike rate of over 70 in Test cricket. He scored 335 not out against Pakistan at the WACA in Perth in January 2019 — the second-highest score by an Australian in Test history. He also scored 253 in the same series. He was banned for 12 months in March 2018 following the Cape Town sandpaper ball-tampering incident (alongside Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft). He was also subject to a lifetime leadership ban (later overturned in 2023). He played in the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups for Australia and was named Player of the Tournament at the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup.
David Andrew Warner was born on 27 October 1986 in Paddington, New South Wales. He is an unusual figure in cricket history: he became the first Australian since the 1870s to make his Test debut without having played a first-class match — he was selected directly from domestic T20 cricket (Big Bash) in January 2009 for his T20I debut. His first-class debut came later. He made his Test debut in January 2011 against New Zealand in Hobart. A left-hand opening batsman, Warner attacks from ball one, hooks and pulls deliveries that other batters duck under, and drives through the off side with exceptional power and timing.
335* at the WACA — Second-Highest Australian Test Score
In the first Test against Pakistan at the WACA, Perth in January 2019, David Warner scored 335 not out. It was the second-highest score by an Australian in Test history (behind Don Bradman's 334 at Headingley in 1930, equalled by Mark Taylor's 334 not out vs Pakistan in 1998). Warner also scored 253 in the second Test of the same series. He had just returned from his 12-month ball-tampering ban. His 335* was made in Australia's total of 580 for 10 (declared), with Pakistan bowled out for 240 and 443. Warner batted for 538 minutes and faced 418 balls.
The Sandpaper Ban and Its Aftermath
Warner was named as the instigator of the ball-tampering plan by the independent review following the Cape Town incident in March 2018. Unlike Smith and Bancroft (who were considered to have been led astray), Warner faced a lifetime leadership ban — meaning he could never captain Australia at any level again. Warner served his 12-month international ban and returned in 2019. He performed well in the 2019 Ashes and the 2019 ODI World Cup. In October 2023, the ICC overturned Warner's lifetime captaincy ban at his own application — restoring his eligibility to lead.
Frequently asked questions
What is David Warner's highest Test score and against whom was it made?
David Warner's highest Test score is 335 not out, scored against Pakistan at the WACA in Perth in January 2019 — the second-highest score by an Australian in Test history (behind Bradman's 334 and equal to Mark Taylor's 334). He also scored 253 in the second Test of the same series. Both performances came after he had returned from a 12-month ban following the Cape Town sandpaper ball-tampering incident.
What was the leadership ban applied to David Warner after the Cape Town sandpaper incident?
Following the March 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering incident, David Warner (named as the instigator) was given a 12-month international playing ban and a lifetime leadership ban — he was deemed ineligible to ever captain Australia again. In October 2023, Warner successfully applied to the ICC to have the lifetime captaincy ban overturned, restoring his eligibility to lead.