SYDNEY, Jan 5: Australian opener Justin Langer said a tearful farewell to Test cricket here on Friday after a seesawing career in which he was repeatedly dropped by selectors then earned redemption to retire on his own terms.The 36-year-old scored 7,696 runs in 105 Tests at an average of 45.27, giving him the 20th highest Test aggregate in Test cricket and the sixth highest for an Australian.

The statistics show Langer scored more Test runs than legends such as Colin Cowdrey, Gordon Greenidge, Mark Taylor and Clive Lloyd, yet he often struggled to retain a spot in the Australian team.

Langer persevered to overcome the early perceptions about his batting and was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2001.

Langer has formed part of Australia's most prolific opening partnership with Matthew Hayden, combining for 5,654 runs at an average of more than 51.

Only the West Indian duo of Greenidge and Desmond Haynes have made more runs (6,482) than Langer and Hayden, but they played together for 13 years while the Australian duo joined forces only in 2001.

In early 2006, Langer was almost forced into premature retirement from cricket when he was hit by a Makhaya Ntini bouncer in Johannesburg and was taken to hospital with concussion. Doctors told him another blow to the head could be fatal.

But he was determined to reclaim the Ashes urn that Australia handed to England in 2005.—AFP