Australian opener David Warner smashed 163 runs against Pakistan in their recent World Cup 2023 clash in Bengaluru. During his 124-ball thundering stay at the bat, the renowned opener smashed nine sixes and 14 boundaries, marking his 21st ODI century.
Warner’s Bengaluru epic also turned out to be his fifth hundred at the World Cup stage, which brought him to levelling terms with all-time great and former captain Ricky Ponting for a huge Australian record.
David Warner joins Ricky Ponting
During the 2015 World Cup, David Warner made his World Cup debut. Under Michael Clarke’s supervision, the cricketer celebrated his first grand stage appearance by lifting the cherished trophy. Warner also competed in the 2019 World Cup in England, finishing as the second highest run-scorer after Rohit Sharma.
The batsman, who smashed 178 against Afghanistan in 2015, added three more hundreds to his World Cup century record in 2019. Warner’s current 163-run knock against Pakistan was his fifth World Cup tonne, bringing him equal with Ricky Ponting.
From 1996 to 2011, the former Australian captain also scored five World Cup century in five separate tournaments. Among all Australian cricketers, Warner and Ponting have the most World Cup centuries.
Former hitter Mark Waugh finished second on the list with four tonnes, while explosive openers Aaron Finch and Matthew Hayden each hit three tonnes during their careers.
At 37 years old, the upcoming 2023 World Cup in India could be Warner’s final World Cup appearance. If the daring opening batsman scores one more triple-figure score in the tournament’s final stages, he will surpass Ricky Ponting as Australia’s all-time leading century-maker.
