Australian skipper Steven Smith won the toss and chose to bat in the third and final Test against Pakistan. Having won the earlier two matches, the final Test was a mere formality in the three-match series. Well, that’s what most of us thought before David Warner came out to bat. The pocket-sized dynamo is known for his aggressive game play and spectators witnessed just that in the morning session. The 30-year-old cricketer scored his 18th international Test century and in the process broke a 41-year-old record.
Warner made his ton in just 78 balls and became the fifth batsman ever to score a century before lunch on the first morning of a Test match. Pakistan’s Majid Khan had achieved the feat in 1976 while playing against New Zealand in Karachi. Warner scored his fifty in 42 balls within the first hour of the play. In the dying moments of the first session, the crowd was backing Warner to reach his century. With 17 boundaries and just 117 minutes on the crease, Warner completed his objective and became a member of an elite group. At Lunch, Warner had made 100* while his partner Matt Renshaw was on 25*.
.@davidwarner31 presents: How to score a century in a session#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/3zSq342kDX
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 3, 2017
The group of 5 cricketers who have scored a century before lunch on the first morning includes four Australians. Victor Trumper (Manchester, 1902), Charlie Macartney (Leeds, 1926), and Sir Don Bradman (Leeds, 1930). Warner became the fourth. Warner’s opening partner Renshaw went on to score his maiden century. While Warner played a fiery knock, Renshaw’s innings was the exact opposite. He scored his ton in 201 balls with 8 boundaries. The 20-year-old is still at the crease with 167 to his name. Australia ended Day 1 with 365/3 on the board. Warner was caught by Sarfraz Khan on Wahab Riaz’s delivery. The left-hander made 113 from 95 balls.
