David Warner currently has five World Cup centuries, which is equal to Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara, and 1,085 runs overall in the tournament, which is second-most among Australians only to Ponting (1743). Warner’s 163 on Friday was also his third 150-plus World Cup score, a mark no batter has ever accomplished. When you consider a record-breaking four consecutive hundreds against Pakistan, you start to look for warning signs that may have derailed a successful one-day career.
The fact that Australia openers typically have lengthier mandates in that capacity makes it peculiar to begin with. While Mark Waugh was more about silky touch, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden were two of the cleanest and most aggressive cricket ball strikers.
But Warner has the capacity to subtly alter the pace of a game. Although the flip off the pads and picking the ball off his hip swipe do make up the majority of his runs, there isn’t really a characteristic shot. Warner is a distinctive opener thanks to the cover drive, which appears much later. Few openers actually swing their bats in fear, but Warner does so with genuine urgency.
But don’t discount his intentions. Because of Warner, Australia also cracks anytime Warner does. Like on Friday, when, as all good cricketers do, he rode his luck and batted better than even he had anticipated. Warner ought to have “gone through the shot” just as much as he ought to have been caught on 10. Even when he had the potential to get caught, you can’t help but notice the element of opportunism. After Australia’s 62-run victory over Pakistan, Warner stated of the lost catch by Usama Mir, “I was actually not happy I didn’t get a single as well.”