Sometimes, one reprieve is all it takes to script history. Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir dropped David Warner when he was on 10, and the explosive Australian opener has made them pay for it, big time. The diminutive southpaw raced away to his fourth successive century against Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Friday, and he ended up with a stellar 163 off 124 balls. Warner zoomed to his ton in 85 balls and combined with opening partner Mitchell Marsh, who too scored a dazzling hundred to demoralize Pakistan bowlers and send them on a leather hunt in Bengaluru. (Scorecard | Full Coverage)
Marsh and Warner amassed 259 runs for the first wicket, which is Australia's highest-ever opening partnership in the ODI World Cup, and their second-highest partnership for any wicket in the marquee 50-over tournament. They fell short of the record by just one run, which is also held by Warner, who combined with former captain Steve Smith to notch up 260 runs for the second wicket against Afghanistan in Perth during their triumphant 2015 ODI World Cup campaign.
As for the highest Aussie WC opening stand, Warner and Marsh left the previous record far behind. Former wicketkeeper-batter Brad Haddin and ex-all-rounder Shane Watson had stitched together 183 runs against Canada during the 2011 ODI World Cup, incidentally at the same ground in Bengaluru. Warner-Marsh went 76 runs further, and brought up their stand against a much more established side like Pakistan.
Marsh's century came on his birthday, which made him the sixth player ever to score an ODI hundred on the day they were born. The 32-year-old Aussie all-rounder joined an illustrious list of Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Vinod Kambli, Ross Taylor, and most recently Tom Latham (against Netherlands in Hamilton last year) who have achieved the same feat. Marsh is only the second player after Taylor to have done it in a World Cup match, with the Kiwi scoring 131 against Pakistan in Pallekele in 2011.
Sachin had scored a ton on his 25th birthday against Australia in the 1998 Coca Cola Cup final in Sharjah, just a couple of days after his famous 'Desert Storm' knock of 143 that took India to the final. Kambli's century came against England in 1993 on his 21st birthday, while Jayasuriya got to his century on his 39th birthday, in Karachi against Bangladesh in 2008.
