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Australia's opening batter David Warner became the first player from the country to play 100 international matches across all three formats during the first T20I against the West Indies at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart. The veteran opener marked the occasion by scoring 70 runs off just 36 deliveries with 12 fours and a six.
Warner, whose last T20I appearance came at the 2022 T20 World Cup, opened the innings with Josh Inglis after West Indies opted to bowl first. The opening pair dominated the powerplay, piling on 77 runs without the loss of a wicket.
The explosive batter brought up his half-century in just 22 deliveries and was well set to double his run tally. But he tried to take on a wayward Alzarri Joseph delivery on the leg stump and was undone by the lack of pace. The ball looped up upon contact with the bat and was safely caught by Nicholas Pooran behind the stumps.
Having already scored hundreds in his 100th ODI and Test match appearances, Warner was within distance of securing the rarest-of-rare record. However, his fine-flowing innings was cut short by Alzarri Joseph.
Fans were in awe of the batting display and flooded social media with praise for the player. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter.
"The David Warner show," one fan wrote.
Interestingly, the opener recently struggled for the Dubai Capitals in the International League T20 (ILT20), scoring only 115 runs in eight appearances at a dismal strike rate of 98.29.
Australia looking for a mammoth total in 1st T20I after Warner set the foundation
The hosts are making the most of the foundation laid down by Warner, but have been bogged down by regular fall of wickets. Alzarri Joseph had already dismissed Mitchell Marsh just before ousting Warner, resulting in a double-wicket over.
The middle-order big hitters like Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell perished while trying to match the tempo. At the time of writing, Australia were 190-5 after 18 overs, with Tim David and Matthew Wade running the show in the death overs.
Will West Indies be able to chase down the target in the second innings? Let us know what you think.
