Warner shows the grit great batsmen require
DAVID Warner’s ironman hundred in the second cricket Test in Chittagong has announced the fighting opener as one of the fittest athletes in all Australian sport.
Excruciating 46C heat and overwhelming humidity could not suppress Warner from celebrating back-to-back centuries in a series where he was under searing pressure to prove he could even cope against the spinning ball.
Warner’s 20th career ton was by far his slowest in Test cricket, as he soaked up 209 balls and put his usual array of big shots away to find the boundary just five times. Now into No.11 and equal with skipper Steve Smith on the list of Australia’s all-time centurymakers, Warner (123 off 234 balls) has conquered his subcontinental demons.
Rain washed out the opening session of day three but Australia were still pushing hard to win the Test and square the series as they moved to parity on 4-305 and prepared to set up a firstinnings lead approaching tea last night.
There can be nothing but admiration for the courage shown by batting partner Peter Handscomb (82), who lost 4.5kg battling through extreme heat stroke to set Australia well on the path to saving face against Bangladesh.
Handscomb, run out trying to get a quick single for Warner who was on 99, deserved a hundred of his own to cement his place alongside Dean Jones in cricket folklore.