Curran: It was worst feeling I’ve ever had

AUSSIE batsman David Warner launched a tirade of foul-mouthed abuse at England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow after being reprieved on 99 by a no-ball before reaching his century on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test.

Bairstow had joined with other England players, led by debutant Tom Curran, in informing Warner just how lucky he had been to reach three figures.

Curran had Warner caught off a miscued pull shot only for umpire Kumar Dharmasena to call a noball, an agonising way to miss out on a first Test wicket.

Warner, who celebrated his hundred the next ball in an exaggerated style including his trademark leap in the air, responded to the England players’ comments with a volley of four-letter obscenities aimed at Bairstow in particular. Bairstow had also been the victim of over-the-top Aussie sledging during the first Test. The sequence of events was: Curran has Warner easily caught by Stuart Broad after he fails to go through with a pull shot on 99.

England players joyfully greet Curran’s first Test ‘wicket’ as Warner trudges off.

Umpire Dharmasena calls Warner back as the big screen shows it’s a clear no-ball.

Warner reaches his century off the next ball and he celebrates wildly.

Curran has a go at Warner at the end of his over and is backed up by Bairstow.

Warner launches an obscenityladen volley at Bairstow.

Joe Root, Curran, Broad and Jimmy Anderson all have words with Warner at the drinks interval that followed.

Both camps played down the flashpoint after Australia finished the first day on 244 for three, watched by an MCG crowd of 88,172 — the fourth-highest cricket crowd on record here.

Warner said: ‘It’s an Ashes series. There is always going to be niggle and banter, but everything seems very mellow out there. It was just one of those things where the bowler’s going to be annoyed that he overstepped the mark. He muttered something and I didn’t let go. I had to bite back as I normally do.

‘We always talk about not crossing the line and I think it’s being played in the right spirit.

‘ There may be one occasion this series when it went too far — obviously around all the stuff that happened off the field.’

Warner described his contrasting emotions on walking off: ‘I played a crap shot. I was disappointed with the way I played that shot but then getting recalled was fantastic.

‘The way I celebrated was more to myself to give myself an upper cut for the shot before. I live by the sword, die by the sword.’

Curran said: ‘It was horrible, the worst feeling I’ve had, but looking at the positives, I get to get my first wicket twice. It was tough work today. On another day things might have gone slightly differently.’

And England’s senior bowler Anderson shared new boy Curran’s agony: ‘I was gutted for Tom. It was hard to watch, really, seeing the elation in his face and then watch it drain a few seconds later when the big screen came up. It’s one of the things you learn the hard way.

‘ It’s difficult, you want to be behind the line but with the adrenalin and Tom wanting to impress in his first Test match, he put in a bit of extra effort.’

Anderson, who denied he had complained to the umpire about Warner, said: ‘Nothing much was said to be honest. Nothing went on untoward. I think Warner’s jubilation was even more after seeing Tom celebrate his first wicket.’

Anderson was critical of the MCG pitch, saying: ‘People want to see entertaining cricket, especially in an iconic Test match like the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. It wasn’t exciting to watch and it wasn’t exciting to play in.’