It has been a difficult few weeks for David Warner. Reeling from the loss of a teammate he must have been struggling to get his focus right ahead of the Adelaide Test against India. But he battled it all and unleashed a memorable hundred yesterday to pay a fitting tribute to his opening partner.

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The left-handed Australian batsman was among a group of players who were closest to the action when Phillip Hughes was struck on the head during a Sheffield Shield match last month.

Warner, who was playing for New South Wales in that game, was the first to rush to Hughes’ aid after he had been felled by Sean Abbot’s bouncer. He held Hughes’ hand and mumbled words of encouragement as he was being treated on the field. Hughes’ subsequent passing came as an almighty blow to those who knew him, and especially his Australian teammates.

Warner was deeply affected by the tragedy and was on the verge of missing the first Test. He skipped a net session in the build-up to the match and regularly needed Australian team psychologist Michael Lloyd’s help.

 

 

He was always going to be the key batsman for Australia in this series, especially after his brilliant form this year which has seen him rake 959 runs from seven Tests at an impressive average of 73.76, including five centuries and three 50-plus scores.

But his state of mind before he stepped on the Adelaide Oval turf yesterday was such that he could have crumbled and nobody
would have discredited him if he had been dismissed cheaply.

Warner however showed remarkable composure in conquering his demons and rarely put a foot wrong as he smashed an erratic Indian attack around the park for a glorious hundred.

 

 

It was a fantastic innings and should rank amongst the best Test knocks in recent times, not because he was up against a strong bowling attack or a vicious pitch, but for the circumstances around it.

Coaches often talk about sport at the highest level being 10 per cent physical and 90 per cent mental, which makes Warner’s effort all the more commendable.

It was his 10th hundred in only his 33rd Test match and he joins an elite band of Australian batsmen – Don Bradman (18 centuries in 33 Tests), Neil Harvey (12) and Arthur Morris (10) – who have scored 10 or more tons in that many Tests.

It is indeed quite a significant achievement as no Australian batsman in 60 years has raced to 10 Test hundreds in 33 Tests.

Does that put him in the same league as the Aussie greats?

The answer is a definite yes.

There is no doubt about the impact Warner can create with his aggressive approach to batting. For somebody who was considered just good for Twenty20 cricket, Warner has come a long way to be termed as a quality Test batsman.

The mental fortitude he displayed yesterday while scoring 145 off 163 balls was extraordinary, often the domain of great players.

With captain Michael Clarke battling injuries and facing a difficult time to extend his Test career, Warner will not only be key
to Australia’s batting but also the team’s leadership.

Clarke and former Australia coach Mickey Arthur firmly believe that Warner has the potential to be a future captain as he often
leads by example. It was evident yesterday when he gave Australia a strong start and showed the team they could thrive even when faced with such massive adversity.