Australian cricket luminary David Warner singles out former South African speedster Dale Steyn as the most formidable bowler he has encountered throughout his illustrious career. As Warner bids adieu for his ODI career and prepares to retire from Test cricket following his farewell game against Pakistan starting Wednesday, he reminisces about the demanding clashes with Steyn during the 2016-17 home series.

In a candid revelation, Warner recounts the challenging 45-minute session at the WACA, where Steyn’s express pace troubled both him and Shaun Marsh. Quoted by cricket.com.au, Warner humorously recalls, ”

Shaun came down to me and said, ‘I can’t pull him, so I don’t know how we’re going to go about facing him.’ He put me on my backside, and I think he broke his shoulder as well that game.”

As part of his reflections on his career, Warner shares insights into Steyn’s fierce competitiveness and ability to swing the ball back into the left-hander, drawing parallels with Mitchell Starc’s skill against right-handers. Despite Warner’s acknowledgment of Steyn’s fiery demeanor on the field, the veteran Australian batter emphasised the absence of a smile or leeway from the renowned South African bowler.

In other cricket developments, Australia opted to stick with an unchanged lineup, foregoing a second spinner in the final Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Skipper Pat Cummins confirms the recovery of Australia’s fast-bowling trio after their victory in the second Test in Melbourne, securing the three-match series with a tense 79-run win.

On the Pakistani side, two strategic changes were made, with Test debutant Saim Ayub opening the innings in place of Imam-Ul-Haq and off-spinner Sajid Khan taking the place of Shaheen Shah Afridi in the final Test.