'My hand is up': Warner makes 'dead serious' Test comeback claim ...

Shortly after steering Victoria to a triumphant Sheffield Shield victory over a New South Wales side featuring three Australian incumbents, former Test opener Chris Rogers stifled a chuckle when quizzed about David Warner throwing his hat back into the ring for the India series.

“I think Davey’s being Davey and he’s looking for a reaction,” he said.

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“I had to laugh. I thought to myself, ‘Maybe I should come to this press conference and say I’m ready to go’. But then I did see Mitch Starc bowling and I thought, ‘No chance’.

“I think Davey is being Davey and just, you know, he’s looking for a bit of a reaction, and he’s certainly got one.”

New South Wales skipper Moises Henriques appeared somewhat bemused when quizzed about Warner’s prospects of returning to Sheffield Shield cricket.

“I don’t know, to be honest,” he said.

“The boys were just joking about it before, but I haven’t actually seen what was said or heard (anything). Again, I don’t know how serious they are or if (the comments are) tongue in cheek, so I can’t really say that I’ve made anything of them just yet.”

Henriques said he would need to seek further information from Warner, if the opener was serious, about his motivation for a return to the Blues in red ball cricket.

“I’d have to have a conversation about the reasons that he wants to do it … and then again, it’s another conversation with the selectors in terms of, you know, I guess, are we holding back the next generation, etc,” he said.

“Or is it something that we need right now? Again, I’m not really the person to be answering that question. That’s more of a sort of strategy as an association and for people far beyond what I’m capable of doing right now.”

New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd was also unaware of Warner’s comments until shortly after the 141-run loss to Victoria at the MCG.

“I was just made aware from Moises about a minute ago that there was something like that,” he said.

“I don’t operate on social media, so I’m not sure (of the) story. I’m on LinkedIn but I am not sure his story appeared on LinkedIn.”

WARNER MAKES ‘DEAD SERIOUS’ TEST COMEBACK CLAIM

David Warner has revealed that if Australian selectors George Bailey, Tony Dodemaide and Andrew McDonald came calling he would happily return to the Test arena to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja once again.

Warner, who turns 38 next week, retired from Test cricket after the SCG Test against Pakistan in January and pulled up stumps on his international white-ball career after the T20 World Cup in June.

Who will open the batting for Australia has been a saga since Warner’s retirement with Steve Smith taking on a new challenge in the four most recent Tests Pat Cummins’ side have played but he will slide down the order against India this summer.

It has created months of speculation about whether an opening contender from the Sheffield Shield like Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw or Sam Konstas may be selected, or if an existing member of the top six will be pushed up to the top.

Warner however, believes he may still be the best person to take on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami with a brand new Kookaburra.

“I’m always available, just got to pick up the phone,” Warner told News Corp after meeting King Charles in Sydney on Thursday.

The left-hander with 26 Test centuries was then probed as to whether he was pulling everyone’s leg, but he doubled down on his shock claim.

“I’m always dead serious. Let’s be honest, the guys have played one red ball game since their last Test matches in February, so I’ve almost had the same preparation,” Warner said.

“Honestly, if they really needed myself for this series, I’m more than happy to play the next Shield game and go out there and play.

“I did retire for the right reasons to finish the game and I wanted to finish. (But) my hand is up if they desperately need someone. I’m not going to shy away from that.”

Warner has been navigating the globe on the T20 - and even shorter white ball formats - franchise circuit this year.

Some of his most recent outings include captaining the Boca Raton Trailblazers in the MAX60 Caribbean competition - which is ten overs a side - and the Brampton Wolves in the Global T20 Canada.

He believes that his off broadway would be enough preparation for a Test return and he declared that he even got on the front foot by flagging a potential comeback with Bailey and McDonald.

“I’ve cheekily messaged both. I’ve spoken to ‘Torch’ (McDonald) and his answer back to me was, ‘you retired’,” Warner said with a laugh.

“I don’t think he wants to give me the pleasure of him saying: ‘can you come back?’.”

If Warner remains in the commentary box for Fox Cricket as well as playing for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash this summer, he believes selectors should be choosing whoever is the next best batter in the country, and then finding a way to make the order work.

Like what they did by recalling Cameron Green after Warner’s departure and he even flagged the Australia A captain as a potential option.

“My take on it is I liked what they were thinking last year with the fact Greeny is in their best top six,” Warner said.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be an opener. I think you can have someone else that can come in and bat three and Marnus (Labuschagne) could open.

“Is Nathan McSweeney a good enough player to come in and bat 3?”

Warner also shared his view that NSW teenage sensation Konstas should be left at state level for longer to put more runs on the board despite bursting into contention with centuries in both innings in the first Shield game of the season against South Australia.

He also acknowledged that unfortunate circumstances may have robbed Australia of the perfect addition to the top of the order for this summer.

“Konstas can definitely in time be that long-term opening batsman... and look there is every opportunity for him there to potentially do that, but I think you still have to see a little bit more,” Warner said.

“I think Will Pucovski was a much more complete cricketer than where Konstas is now and was a bit more of a stroke maker. But Konstas can definitely in time be that.”