Australian opener David Warner appears to have the backing of Australia’s selectors despite failing in the first Test against South Africa. Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Australia vs Pakistan: Warner shatters records in Adelaide
The second Test in the Australia vs Pakistan series has so far belonged largely to opener David Warner who smashed records in Adelaide on Saturday.
Australian opener David Warner appears to have the backing of Australia’s selectors despite failing in the first Test against South Africa. Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Australiavs Pakistan: Opener David Warner notched the highest ever score in a day/night Test on Saturday in Adelaide putting the tourists to the sword in a nearly faultless display.
Warner picked up where he left off after stumps on day one breezing to his double century in the first session before he was caught in the gully on 226. The umpires signalled no-ball straight away though as Mohammad Musa had overstepped and the belligerent left-hander would make them pay.
Warner smashes only the second pink-ball triple hundred
Warner becomes just the second man to pass 300 in a pink ball Test after Pakistan’s Azhar Ali, who struck an unbeaten 302 against West Indies in Dubai.
Marnus Labuschagne shoots up rankings after first Australia vs Pakistan Test.
The previous record for the highest score in a day/night Test had belonged to Azhar, but Warner went past him during his incredible 335 not out.
The opener’s heroics at the Adelaide Oval followed a knock of 154 in the first Test of the Australia vs Pakistan series at the Gabba in Brisbane last week – Warner’s first Test century since a year-long ban for ball-tampering.
It has been a big turnaround for the former vice-captain of Australia, who managed just 95 runs in 10 innings during this year’s Ashes series in England.
Smith becomes fastest to 7,000 Test runs
The man banned alongside Warner also achieved a milestone on Saturday.
Steve Smith became the fastest man to score 7,000 Test runs, breaking a record that has stood since 1946. The former skipper also moved past Sir Don Bradman to become Australia’s 11th highest scorer in Test cricket.
A single taken off the bowling of Musa during in Adelaide allowed Smith to reach the milestone and take possession of a record held for 73 years by English legend Wally Hammond.
Hammond reached the mark in 131 innings, while Smith, who played his first Test nine years ago, made the grade in his 126th.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag is currently the third fastest to reach the mark having done so in 134 innings.
“The fastest to 7K – you’re a star Steve Smith!,” tweeted Cricket Australia.
Smith hasn’t found his Ashes form as yet this summer, but the men above him in the batting order have really come to the party for Australia.
The former captain is eager to get back among the runs though revealing that he punishes himself if he isn’t able to score enough.
“I always punish myself when I get no runs, just like I reward myself when I score runs with a chocolate bar at the end of the night if I get a hundred,” he said.
“So yeah, if I get no runs I always like to have a run or go to the gym or do something just to give myself a bit of a punishment.”
Australia vs Pakistan – a thrashing on the way
Australia declared on 589/3 leaving Pakistan the prospect of surviving a horror evening session against a fired-up pace attack.
Babar Azam (43*) did his best to hold the Pakistan top order together but wickets fell regulalrly and the visitors limped to 96/6 at stumps still 493 runs behind. Mitchell Starc was the chief destroyer taking 4/22.
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