Warner joins 300 club, Smith smashes record
● An irrepressible David Warner smashed an unbeaten 335 yesterday while Steve Smith became the fastest man to 7,000 Test runs as Australia put Pakistan to the sword before declaring on day two of the second Test in Adelaide.
Seamer Mitchell Starc grabbed four wickets as Pakistan staggered to 96/6 at stumps in reply to Australia’s 589/3 declared in the day-night Test.
Having lost the opener in Brisbane by an innings and five runs, Pakistan will hope rain forecast in coming days might help stave off an ignominious series whitewash.
Babar Azam was on 43, with tailender Yasir Shah on four, the pair facing an improbable rescue mission.
Tim Paine’s declaration robbed Warner of the chance to push for Brian Lara’s world record of 400, but the left-handed opener joined exalted company after striding off unbeaten on 335, the 10th highest score in Tests.
In making his runs, Smith — who had a rare failure in the first of the two-Test series at Brisbane — shattered a record that had stood since 1946. He took a single off Muhammad Musa to reach 7,000 runs in his 126th innings, taking possession of a mark held for 73 years by English great Wally Hammond.
Smith also moved past legendary countryman Donald Bradman’s 6,996 Test runs to become Australia’s 11th highest scorer.
The home team resumed the day-night second Test at 302/1 with Warner on 166 and Marnus Labuschagne 126, with the pair putting on another 67 runs before Pakistan finally got a breakthrough. —