Considered fortunate to keep his place in the side, David Warner now looks irreplaceable after his 163 guided Australia to 6 for 321 in the opening tri-series one-day finals clash with Sri Lanka at the Gabba on Sunday.
Warner had to wait until his 19th ODI to notch his maiden ton - and he made it count by hitting the third-highest ODI score in Australia.
He became the seventh Australian to break through the 150 barrier in one-dayers and he struck the sixth biggest 50-over score by an Australian - and highest ever at the Gabba.
However, the big-hitting opener would have been forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief after being named this weekend.
Someone had to make way for returning captain Michael Clarke on Sunday - and Warner would have been nervous after a modest series return of 195 at 24.37 ahead of the finals opener.
But Peter Forrest - the only Australian batsman to have hit a ton this series ahead of the Gabba clash - was the odd man out when the XI was confirmed.
Warner may not be dropped for some time after his 157-ball, three-and-a-half-hour knock which featured 13 fours and two sixes.
Warner's remarkable hand ended on the last ball of the innings when he was bowled by Dhammika Prasad (2 for 51).
Warner did not quite match his third Test fireworks in Perth against India where he reached triple figures in 69 balls - the equal fourth fastest century ever.
But Warner appeared to have no complaints when he brought up his century in 111 balls on Sunday with yet another four.
An ecstatic Warner jumped for joy and punched the air after he bottom edged Farveez Maharoof past keeper Kumar Sangakkara to the third-man boundary.
Warner had a willing partner in crime in Matthew Wade (64) who helped light up the gloomy Gabba conditions in a 136-run opening stand.
It seemed only something special was going to break their entertaining partnership - and Rangana Herath duly delivered.
Wade stood gobsmacked when Herath pulled off a spectacular one-handed diving catch on the long-on boundary, in front of a delirious pocket of Sri Lankan fans, off Nuwan Kulasekara.
Two brief rain delays came and went before wickets began falling.
Australia lost Shane Watson (21), Dan Christian (10) and David Hussey (1) before Clarke (37) and Mike Hussey (19 not out) helped re-start the batting fireworks.
AAP
Tags: onedayseries, sport, cricket, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted March 04, 2012 18:33:39
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