David Warner's classy act after final MCG innings comes to light
The Australian opener gave his gloves to a young fan as he left the MCG pitch for the final time.
David Warner's classy act after his final innings at the MCG on Thursday has won over an array of fans. The veteran Aussie batsman was dismissed for just six on day three of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, chopping onto his stumps in what was an anticlimactic end to his MCG career.
As he left the pitch Warner received a standing ovation from a 40,000-strong crowd as he bid farewell to the iconic Melbourne ground. The Aussie opener will retire from international Test cricket following the Sydney Test next week.
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As he walked off, a disappointed Warner raised his bat to salute the MCG crowd. "The final time David Warner will walk off the Melbourne Cricket Ground as an Australian Test (better)," Adam Gilchrist said on Fox after Warner's dismissal. "He cannot believe it ."
But in a heartwarming moment as Warner headed up the tunnel he gave his gloves to a child who was left grinning from ear to ear and raised the gloves in celebration. The touching gesture was shared on social media and the polarising sportsman was commended for his actions.
David Warner bids final farewell to the MCG and he giftd his gloves to the little fan. Lovely gesture from Warner #PAKvsAUS | #PAKvAUSpic.twitter.com/SkmfgVCGzZ
— Don Cricket 🏏 (@doncricket_) December 28, 2023
David Warner's gesture of giving his gloves to a young cricket fan adds a touching and memorable moment to his Boxing Day Test farewell It's always heartwarming to see such connections between players and fans
— Parmjeet Singh (@ParmjeetSi25214) December 28, 2023
A small gesture can make whole day 😀
The boy will cherish this moments whole life ..
Well done champion 👍@davidwarner31— Purushottam yaduvanshi (@puru05688) December 28, 2023
"He'll be disappointed with the way that finishes, David Warner, but that's a wonderful reception, a wonderful farewell from a crowd that has enjoyed so much of his entertainment," Gilchrist said in commentary. "He'll go down into that change room and be so disappointed that that part of the journey is over and this innings is over. He's a future hall of famer, there's no doubt about that."
Mitch Marsh's unwanted family record
Mitch Marsh's sublime knock ended painfully short of a maiden MCG international century on day three, continuing a family voodoo that goes back more than three decades. The West Australian was dismissed for the second time in the series in the 90s, after edging a Mir Hamza ball to slip on 96.
"I guess there is a lot of history at this ground with the Boxing Day Test and a bloody big honours board I was close to getting on, but it wasn’t meant to be," Marsh said following his dismissal. The disappointment comes nine years after older brother Shaun was run out for 99 in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test match against India at the MCG.
His father Geoff, also made 86 at the iconic Melbourne stadium in a match against India in 1991, with the unwanted record of none of the Marsh's ever managing to crack the tonne at the MCG for Australia continuing. “Shaun has technically still got me, so I guess there is a little bit of history there for us. But hopefully, I get one more crack at it,” Marsh said.
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