New Delhi:
David Warner had a record-breaking day in the Pink Ball Test against Pakistan in Adelaide when he smashed 335* to help Australia declare on 589/3. Warner's knock was redemption after his miserable form in the Ashes where he managed just 95 runs in five Tests. Warner looked good to break Brian Lara's record of the highest individual score in Tests which is 400* against England which he set in 2004. However, to everyone's surprise, Australia skipper Tim Paine declared the innings but Warner said crossing Lara's record was not on his mind.
Speaking after the end of the day, Warner told host broadcasters Fox Sports, "I think it's about the person himself. We've got long boundaries, it is quite difficult at times. When fatigue sets in, it's very hard to try hard and throw your hands at it. At the end, I tried to run twos to lift the ante because I couldn't actually think like I could clear the ropes." However, Warner believed that if anyone had the potential to break Lara's score of 400*, it would be Rohit Sharma. The left-hander also credited Virender Sehwag for making him believe that he would be a better Test player than a Twenty20 player.
"I think, one day, if I've to name a player, I reckon it could be Rohit Sharma. When I met Virender Sehwag while playing for Delhi in the IPL, he sat down to me and said I will be a better Test player than a Twenty 20 player. I said 'you're out of your mind, I've not played many first-class games'. He always said 'they will have slips and gully, covers open, mid-wicket stay there. mid-off and mid-on will be up, you can get off to a flier and sit there all day and you'll be picking them all off'. That's always stuck in my mind, it sounded very easy when we were discussing then," Warner remarked.
Considered one of the best batsmen in ODI cricket, Rohit couldn't achieve much success in Tests initially but the Mumbaikar made a successful comeback to the longest format when he was included as an opener for the three-match series against South Africa. As an opener in his first Test, Rohit scored twin-centuries against South Africa and was eventually named the Man of the Series.
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Warner became the second Australian to score a triple century in Tests in Australia after Matthew Hayden smashed 380 during the Perth Test against Zimbabwe in 2003. The left-hander also became the second Australian player after Mark Taylor to hit a triple ton against Pakistan. Mark Taylor had smashed 334 in 1998 at Peshawar. Warner also became the fourth batsmen after Sir Garfield Sobers, Virender Sehwag and Taylor to hit a triple ton against Pakistan in Tests.
