Warner's Test rut continues at Gabba

Maybe David Warner should re-think his new nickname "the Reverend".

Because it seems Warner is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't after his Test rut continued in Brisbane on Thursday.

Warner sure knows how to play one-day cricket.

But the Australian vice-captain's natural attacking game had come under question in Tests after a worrying run.

He has not struck a Test ton since January.

So Warner adopted a more conservative approach on the opening day of Australia's first Test clash with Pakistan.

And still fell for 32.

Once dubbed "The Bull" in his younger, unpredictable days, Warner is now known as "The Reverend" in the dressing room to acknowledge his more mellow nature.

And Warner tried to show the patience of a saint against the left-arm Pakistani pace attack.

Warner initially looked to pick up where he left off from his record breaking one-day series against New Zealand, driving the first ball he faced on Thursday to the boundary.

However, Warner had hit only one more four before his 70-ball knock ended in the first session, trapped in front by Mohammad Amir.

To put his knock in perspective, Warner was scoring at a slower rate than Matt Renshaw - the rookie opener maligned for his "go slow" starts.

Either way Warner has not been able to end his Test ton drought.

Warner's freewheeling approach has racked up a record seven one-day tons in 2016.

And his recent 299 haul at 99.67 against New Zealand is the most runs by an Australian in a three-match ODI series.

Yet Warner's Test tally for the year is his worst since his 2011 debut.

His sole Test ton for 2016 - 122 not out - was in a dead rubber against an ailing West Indies team 11 months ago.

This year he has made 592 runs at 37 - well short of his 2014 (1,136 runs) and 2015 (1,317) whopping totals.

Warner may yet return to his attacking ways in Brisbane to end his Test rout.

Or maybe "The Reverend" needs some divine intervention.