Australian opener David Warner equals Sachin Tendulkar with six World Cup centuries
Australian opener David Warner equaled Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar for the second most World Cup centuries with six during their clash against the Netherlands in Delhi on Wednesday.
Following a sub-par start to the tournament, Warner came into his own in Australia's previous outing against Pakistan with a 124-ball 163. The 36-year-old followed that with his second consecutive ton against a hapless Netherlands attack, reaching three figures in only 91 deliveries.
While Tendulkar played in six World Cups in his illustrious career, Warner is only featuring in his third edition. The southpaw also broke a tie with former skipper Ricky Ponting (5) to become Australia's leading centurion in World Cups.
David Warner trails only Indian skipper Rohit Sharma with seven for most World Cup centuries.
Apart from playing a vital role in Australia winning the 2015 World Cup, Warner boasts a sensational record in the showpiece event. He has scored 1,324 runs at an average of 63.04 and a strike rate of over 100 in 23 World Cup games.
Also noteworthy is that half of David Warner's six World Cup centuries have been 150+ scores, with the 178 against Afghanistan being the highest in Perth in 2015.
Australia on course for another massive total against the Netherlands
Australia are headed toward another mammoth total against the Netherlands after winning the toss and batting first. Coming off the thrashing of Pakistan, where the batters made hay with a score of 367/9 in their 62-run win, the Aussies are headed in a similar direction.
While the opening partnership of David Warner and Mitchell Marsh could not replicate their heroics from a few days back, it was the turn of Steve Smith to give company to Warner.
The duo added a breezy 132 runs off 118 balls for the second wicket after the loss of Marsh in the fourth over to propel Australia to a dominant 160/2 in the 24th over.
Although Smith fell for a well-made 71 off 68, Marnus Labuschagne ensured to keep the momentum going with an even faster 62 off 47 balls. Despite the loss of the duo and other middle-order wickets, the five-time world champions breached the 300-run mark for a second consecutive outing.
After a horrendous start to their 2023 World Cup campaign with heavy defeats to India and South Africa, the Men in Yellow have bounced back with resounding wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
They appear to be on course for a hattrick of wins at 312/6 in 45 overs, with Glenn Maxwell batting on 34 off 20 and Pat Cummins new to the crease on two.