"I don't see why not" - Steve Smith slams David Warner's critics; backs opener to continue playing Test cricket

Former Australian skipper Steve Smith feels David Warner should continue playing Test cricket for Australia for 'as long as he likes' as he is still one of the best in the business. Quite a few questions had been raised about Warner's place in the Test team coming into the Boxing Day Test.

However, the veteran southpaw silenced his critics by smashing a sensational double-hundred, becoming only the second player in history after Joe Root to achieve this feat in his 100th Test.

Speaking to reporters after the end of play on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test, here's what Steve Smith had to say about David Warner's future:

"I don't see why not. He's fit and I don't see any reason why he can't continue playing. He was certainly seeing the ball pretty well today, so fingers crossed he can keep playing well and he can play for as long as he likes."

Steve Smith on his partnership with David Warner

The partnership of 239 runs between Warner and Smith was instrumental in giving Australia almost complete control in the Boxing Day Test. The duo complemented each other pretty well and absolutely dominated the South African bowlers on a hot day at the MCG.

Steve Smith opened up on how Warner was timing the ball even better when he played with cramps and that's why he urged the southpaw to continue batting. He stated:

"The more he started to cramp, the more shots he started to play and everything seemed to be coming out of the middle. It was an amazing knock and nice to be up the other end for a large chunk of it. I was doing my thing and he was doing his. It was just like, 'Keep batting'. He was like, 'I’m cramping.' I was like, 'Good. Just keep going.'"

Australia are 197 runs ahead at stumps on Day 2 and will look to bat the Proteas out of the Test as well as the series.