Veteran Australian opener David Warner is gearing up for his final phase as a Test player after announcing his intention to retire after the New Year’s Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
The flamboyant left-handed batter has left a huge legacy behind in the red-ball game along with his equally impressive white-ball credentials.
Warner famously made his debut for Australia without even playing a first-class match. He was the first player to achieve the feat since 1877, but he had to wait a while for his maiden opportunity in Tests. He made an instant impression with a ton in his second Test on a challenging surface in Hobart.
Following an illustrious 11-year stint in whites, Warner has racked up 8158 runs in 103 appearances, with 34 fifties and 25 hundreds along the way. He was a vital presence in the Australian batting unit over the course of the last decade and has played countless match-winning innings, especially on home soil.
With the ace player set to bid farewell to the longest format of the game soon, let us take a look at three David Warner Test records that might never be broken.
# 1 Most runs in a single day by an Australian opener
David Warner’s wicket is something that the opponent manifests because of the danger that he brings once settled. Scoring runs at a quick rate, the opening batter unsettles the opposition, forcing them to either spread the field or change their bowling plan altogether.
The veteran batter, much like several others, is a whole different prospect altogether once he has negotiated the early troubles. He relentlessly piles on runs and with his temperament to play long innings, it is quite a dangerous combination to have.
During the second Test against New Zealand in Perth. He scored a well-made 253 off 286 deliveries, out of which 244 runs came in the opening day.
While Sir Don Bradman holds the record for the most runs scored by a batter in a single day of a Test with 309 runs, Warner holds the record among Australian openers.
#2 Highest score in 100th Test by an Australian
Warner recently became one of the handful of Australian players to reach the 100 Test landmark during the second Test against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Battling poor form, there was immense scrutiny over the batter’s place in the team, but he responded with a stunning double hundred.
Apart from impeccable strokeplay against a world-class Proteas bowling unit, he also had to battle the intense heat. He struggled with cramps on a recurring basis throughout the latter part of the innings.
After reaching the 200-run mark, Warner worsened his injury with his trademark leap celebration and was dismissed by Anrich Nortje soon after.
It will be a mammoth task of scoring a double hundred on an occasion such as the 100th Test, with only Joe Root having accomplished the feat so far.
#3 Hundred in the opening session of a Test in Australia
Batting in Australian conditions against a Kookaburra ball might prove to be tricky at times considering the pace and bounce on offer. During the third Test against Pakistan in the 2016-17 series, Warner lit up his home ground with a ton inside the first session itself.
Warner reached the three-figure mark in the 26th over of the innings, off just 78 balls. He became the first player since Majid Khan in 1978 to score a hundred before lunch. Moreover, his feat is yet to be replicated in Australia.
The opening batter ended up scoring 113 off just 95 deliveries with 17 fours as Australia comfortably won the contest by 220 runs to seal the series.
Will any of the aforementioned records held by the player be breached in the future? Let us know what you think.