David Warner has expressed his willingness to come out of retirement and rejoin the Australian Test squad for the upcoming home series against India. The 37-year-old, who retired after the third Test against Pakistan in January, has told selectors he is "dead serious" about returning for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, which begins on November 22 in Perth.
Warner’s offer follows Steve Smith’s desire to move back to the No. 4 position, leaving selectors searching for an opening partner for Usman Khawaja. Warner has already spoken to Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, offering to step back into the team.
"I'm always available, just got to pick up the phone," Warner told News Corp. He emphasised his readiness, noting that domestic Sheffield Shield players have only played one red-ball game since February, similar to his own preparation. "If they really need me for this series, I’m happy to play the next Shield game and be ready."
However, McDonald appeared indifferent to the idea, reminding Warner that he had retired. Warner joked that McDonald might not want to give him the satisfaction of a recall.
With 8,786 runs in 112 Tests, Warner has been focusing on limited-overs franchise cricket in Canada and the Cayman Islands. Meanwhile, Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, and Matthew Renshaw are considered the leading candidates to partner Khawaja in the series against India.