Australia v Pakistan First Test: Mitchell Johnson v David Warner, calls for fresh blood in overhaul

David Warner’s first innings century silenced more than a few of his critics – but not Mitchell Johnson, who doubled down on his view the opener should have been shuffled out of the Test team.

David Warner’s century against Pakistan in Perth has not changed Mitchell Johnson’s view that this would have been the perfect summer for Australia to search for new blood.

Johnson shook the cricket world a week ago when he unleashed fierce criticism of Warner’s declining form in his Sunday column published in print in Perth’s Sunday Times and online in The West Australian.

In his carefully written follow-up column which was one of the last stories received before the Sunday paper’s first edition was put to bed on Saturday night, Johnson was less personal but pointedly stood by his original verdict.

Warner took a swipe at his critics after making 164 in the first innings before a second innings duck on Saturday.

“I think my opinion in this column a couple of weeks ago is still valid. He hadn’t scored runs in about three years apart from the double century last summer,’’ Johnson wrote.

David Warner walks off after being dismissed for a duck in the second innings on Saturday. Picture: Getty

“Another point made was that a soft summer like this, with Australia expected to comfortably beat Pakistan and the West Indies, was the perfect time to look at blooding some new players into an ageing team.

“They could have given some new guys some really good time out in the middle this summer and backed them in. That’s going to be much harder across the next two summers when India and England visit for five-Test series.

“It seems they’ve got their own plans in place for selection and how they see things. But they are going to be confronted by a changing of the guard at some point soon.

David Warner’s first innings heroics haven’t changed the mind of former teammate Mitchell Johnson. Picture: AFP

“David Warner’s century on the first day of the Australian Test summer was no great surprise in some ways.

“There was a big media spotlight on Warner and his form and he seems to be at his most motivated when backed into a corner and he generally saves his best for home soil.

“On day one Warner rode his luck early on — and it could have gone either way — and you take that and he went on to make 164.

“He did what he was paid to do in the first innings before Saturday’s duck in the second innings.

“Warner may have denied he cares about criticism of his form, but it definitely does drive him as shown in his performance in the first innings.

“That sort of atmosphere is something Warner revels in and he is a bit like Kevin Pietersen was in that regard.’’