David Warner Creates Record In Mumbai ODI, Becomes Fastest Australian To 5000 Runs

David Warner was surviving a testing spell from the Indian new ball bowlers in Australia's chase of 256. While skipper Aaron Finch was batting confidently and finding the gaps, Warner was struggling to time the ball. In the sixth over bowled by Shardul Thakur, he was given out caught behind as he looked to pull a short ball down the leg side. With just one second remaining, he opted for the review and replays showed a flat line which indicated no edge. Warner carried on and in the seventh over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, he achieved history. Bumrah bowled a short ball and Warner dispatched the pull shot to the deep square leg fence.

With the boundary, Warner reached 5000 ODI runs in just his 115th innings. The left-hander became the fastest Australian and third-fastest overall to reach the landmark this quickly. Hashim Amla of South Africa took 101 innings to reach 5000 runs while India skipper Virat Kohli and West Indies legend Sir Viv Richards took 114 innings to reach the milestone.

David Warner and Aaron Finch registered their fifth consecutive fifty-plus stand. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The previous fastest Australian to reach 5000 runs was Dean Jones who took 128 innings. Opening Stand Pulverises India Finch and Warner gave Australia a rousing start in their chase of 256 in Mumbai. Both batsmen were in fine form and they notched up the fifty-run opening stand in just the eighth over. The Finch-Warner combination now had stands of 70, 231, 66, 61 and now this partnership in Mumbai. Only one other opening combination had so many consecutive fifty-plus opening stands against India in ODIs and that was Saeed Anwar & Aamer Sohail for Pakistan. Between 1994 and 1996, the duo strung stands of 77, 96, 58, 84, 144 & 77 in as many ODIs.

Warner continued his great form of the past one year as he notched up his 21st fifty and skipper Finch also joined him with a fabulous fifty to put Australia on course in their chase of 256.

Warner In Great Form

During the Test against Pakistan in Adelaide, 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.

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However, when he blasted a six and a four off Mohammad Abbas, he went past Azhar Ali's tally of 302* which he hit in the Pink Ball Test in Dubai against West Indies to become the highest individual scorer in a Day Night match. When he nudged Iftikhar Ahmed for a single to take him to 335, Warner overhauled the highest individual score set by Bradman and Taylor. This was the second-highest individual score by an Australian in Tests and it was also the second highest against Pakistan behind Sobers' 365*.

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