When Virender Sehwag Predicted Bright Test Career For David Warner

Warner and Sehwag played IPL together for Delhi franchise (Twitter)

As David Warner embraces the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground for his final Test in Australian whites against Pakistan, the southpaw could perhaps revisit a pivotal conversation of his life with India's swashbuckling former opener Virender Sehwag. 

When Australian cricket had pigeonholed the extravagant left-hander as a T20I specialist back in 2008-09, it was Sehwag who believed against the odds and perceptions that the New South Wales player could play Test cricket for Australia and succeed at it. 

Today as Warner heads to his final appearance in the great format for Australia, Sehwag reminisced that conversation and moment at the sidelines of the 2009 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and why he identified a potential Test match-winner in him. 

When Sehwag Backed Warner To Play Tests 

Bringing his own experience and transformation from a limited-overs maverick to a mighty successful Test opener into play, Sehwag encouraged Warner to invest time and energy into his first-class game even as the player lacked belief himself and laughed off the suggestion initially. 

"When David Warner came to play for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2009, he'd just made his T20I and ODI debuts. But the way he used to bat and hit the ball, I could see he had all the talent and the control you need in a Test batter,"Sehwag told Cricbuzz. "When I saw him, I was convinced that he would be better in Tests than he even is in T20 cricket. I shared this view with him, and he started laughing."

Sehwag revealed Warner wasn't convinced about his chances of breaking into Australia's Test team but ultimately put in the hard yards for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield and forced the Australian selectors to give him a nod in December 2011. 

"He said, 'I am so far away from Test cricket and in Australia it's so difficult to break into the Test team to start with.' I told him, 'You will enjoy it. It's made for you. In Test cricket, you have a powerplay throughout the day. In T20 cricket the powerplay only lasts for 20 overs.' He started laughing and said, 'Then I'll certainly enjoy it'."

"Later, he went on to play Tests for Australia and messaged me saying he was so happy that I'd said that to him. I wished him well saying, 'Hope you break all my records.' And I think he's close to breaking all my records as opener. Except the strike-rate,"he added.