This outstanding century marked Warner’s second consecutive three-figure score in the ongoing tournament, following his brilliant 163 in the previous encounter against Pakistan.Remarkably, this accomplishment saw him surge past the tally of five World Cup centuries held by his compatriot, the legendaryRicky Ponting, and positioned him on par with none other than the cricketing maestro, Sachin Tendulkar. Warner now stands just one century short of matching the all-time World Cup record, a feat currently held by India’s esteemed captain, Rohit Sharma, who boasts seven centuries to his name.
Expressing his fervour for World Cups, Warner eloquently stated, “It’s what I get up for. We live for these World Cups. They’re every four years, and you’ve got to really, really shine on this stage and try to emulate what I do in those bilateral series out here. Yeah, to be in the same category and class with those guys is special.”
Notably, Warner’s phenomenal century on Wednesday was somewhat eclipsed by the remarkable century recorded by his teammate, Glenn Maxwell, who achieved a World Cup record by reaching three figures in just 40 balls.
Australia vs Netherlands, ICC World Cup 2023: David Warner hits 22nd ODI century
As Warner approaches his 37th birthday, he finds himself in a celebratory mood, having substantially augmented his career ODI runs total, which now stands at an impressive 6,729. His contributions extend beyond the ODI format, with nearly 8,500 runs amassed in Test matches, a remarkable unbeaten triple century included, and nearly 3,000 runs accrued in T20 internationals.
Looking toward the future, Warner remains firmly focused on the present, commenting, “In this moment, we’re just staying present. In probably 20 years’ time or 30 years’ time, I might sit down and enjoy that.”
(With inputs from AFP)