Not long ago, David Warner couldn't buy a single run in the Ashes with a certain Stuart Broad coming around the wicket and messing with his thinking. Two months later, the entire climate around the southpaw has changed. Broad is in the vicinity, but Australia don't have to face his music. The outfield is as green as in England, but the pitch is flatter. The bowlers come from a country reputed for quick bowlers, but they are not even half as menacing.
If Warner made eight single-digit scores in the Ashes, in two innings against Pakistan this series, he has already notched up three digits each. The second time, he pushed himself to compose one of the best ever knocks by an Australian in Test cricket - a sensational 335* at the Adelaide Oval, his first triple ton in Test cricket.
Warner broke a slew of records in his record-breaking innings and a number of queer stats came up along the way. Here we take a look at some of them.
- Warner's triple century is the fourth by an Australian opening batsman and the eighth by an Australian in Test cricket. Bob Simpson, Mark Taylor and Matthew Hayden were the other Australian openers to achieve the feat.
- Warner went past Don Bradman's 334 before Australia declared at the Adelaide Oval. However, he was still behind Matthew Hayden for the highest individual score by an Australian in Test cricket. Hayden had made a record-breaking 380 against Zimbabwe which was later eclipsed by Brian Lara in his marathon 400.
- Warner's 335* is the highest score in a day-night Test and only the second-ever triple ton after Azhar Ali's 302* vs West Indies. Of the top six individual scores in day-night Tests, five are by openers. It is also the highest score in any day-night first-class game, going past Dean Jones' 324* for Victoria against South Australia in 1995.
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Highest individual scores in day-night Tests:
Warner - 335*
Azhar - 302*
Cook - 243
Karunaratne - 196
Nicholls - 145*
Khawaja - 145
- Warner is the sixth opener to have two scores of 250 or more in Tests. Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith, Alastair Cook, Chris Gayle and Sanath Jayasuriya are the others.
- Warner's 335* is the second-highest score against Pakistan in Test cricket after Gary Sobers' 365* in 1958 at Kingston. Virender Sehwag and Mark Taylor are the others to make triple tons against Pakistan in Tests.
- The triple century is the 31st in the history of Tests, 16th by an opener, 8th by an Australian and 4th against Pakistan.
- Warner's triple ton is the first in three years in Tests. Karun Nair's triple hundred against England in 2016 was the last in Test cricket. Australia's last was by Michael Clarke against India in 2012.
- Warner stepped into the top highest scores in Test cricket with his 335*. It is the 10th highest in the history of Tests.
- Warner was particularly harsh on Yasir Shah and hit him for 111 runs in 110 balls. His strike rate as such was impressive (80.14) and is the fourth-best among the 31 triple tons.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / William West
