David Warner shuts critics down with terrific 26th century in 1st AUS vs PAK Test; explains unusual gesture after ton

Warner smashed a brilliant century on Day 1 of the opening Test against Pakistan, thus silencing the critics that wanted him out of the side in the 5-day format

Australia's star opener David Warner silenced his critics in style as he smashed a 26th Test century during the opening match of the series against Pakistan. The series against Shan Masood's men is widely speculated to be Warner's farewell to the five-day format, and he kickstarted the potential swansong in style with an aggressive century against Pakistan's wayward bowling attack on Day 1.

David Warner celebrates his century during the first day of the first Test cricket match between Australia and Pakistan at Optus Stadium in Perth (AFP)

Leading up to the match, Mitchell Johnson, Australia's legendary former pacer and Warner's teammate, raised doubts about whether the Aussie opener deserved a hero's farewell, citing his recent poor red-ball form and his involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. Responding in his 110th Test appearance, the left-hander showcased his signature aggressive style, smashing 15 fours and a massive six in his 149-ball innings (Warner remained unbeaten till Tea on Day 1).

Despite facing challenges on a pitch offering bounce, Warner played a counter-attacking knock and reached his half-century in just 41 balls, securing it with a boundary off Faheem Ashraf. While his strike rate slowed after lunch, he continued his pursuit of a 26th Test century, eventually reaching the milestone in 125 balls with an upper-cut boundary off debutant Aamer Jamal.

Warner celebrated the century with his trademark leap and basked in the applause from the spectators. He reserved a special gesture during the celebration, putting the fingers on his lips while looking above.

Watch:

In a chat with former Australia opener Adam Gilchrist following the end of the second session, Warner stated that it was just a response to the relentless criticism over his place in the side in the build-up to the Test. “You have got to take criticism. There's no better way to silence them than putting runs on the board,” Warner told Gilchrist.

This was Warner's 48th international ton that further strengthens his place as the second-highest centurion for Australia across all formats, after Ricky Ponting (71). Despite the criticism, the Aussie opener remains high on confidence after a stellar last few months, that saw him lifting the ODI World Cup title in November as Australia defeated India in the final.