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Warner reveals key to form turnaround

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29th November, 2019
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Centurions David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne posted the highest partnership in a day-night Test to take Australia to 1-302 against Pakistan in Adelaide.

Marnus Labuschagne became Test cricket’s leading run-scorer for 2019 as he and David Warner hit a record pink-ball partnership to drive Australia to a commanding position.

In a dominant opening day at the Adelaide Oval, Warner and Labuschagne both hit big hundreds as part of an unbeaten 294-run stand.

Warner finished not out on 166, batting gloriously to hit back-to-back hundreds for the sixth time in his career after his 154 at the Gabba.

Labuschagne’s century was also his second straight and allowed him to overtake Steve Smith at the top of the Test run charts – his unbeaten 126 taking him to 793 for the calendar year.

After Joe Burns fell early for just four, Warner and Labuschagne didn’t offer any real chance for the rest of the evening against an ill-disciplined Pakistan attack.

Things could have been far worse for the tourists too, had rain not washed away 17 overs for the day in a two-hour delay either side of the tea break.

The pair’s stand was the highest in pink-ball history, overtaking the 248 runs Englishmen Joe Root and Alastair Cook combined for against West Indies in 2017.

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It was also the highest second-wicket stand of all time for Australia against Pakistan, surpassing Mark Taylor and Justin Langer’s 279 in Peshawar in 1998.

Warner played wonderfully through the offside, hitting 13 of his 19 boundaries either on the cover drive or cut shot.

David Warner.

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Overall Pakistan have been too short to the left-hander, who only slowed as he neared three figures before reaching his ton off 156 balls courtesy of overthrows.

It marked Warner’s first century in a day-night Test, with his previous top score 47.

“I actually really tightened up in my defence,” Warner said.

“Probably the best I’ve ever left I think. And I think that’s down to the quality bowling of (Mohammad) Abbas.

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“I just waited for him to over-pitch and that’s one thing on my game I’ve really tried to work hard on is really try to be a bit more patient and really wait for it.

“The last two games I’ve actually showed myself I can do that and I’m capable of doing that.

“I’m just really proud with how good my defence actually was tonight.”

Labuschagne, meanwhile, was sublime off his legs. Patient early, he has since hit almost half his runs through the midwicket region while also late cutting the spinners behind square.

He brought up his century when he turned Yasir Shah off his pads to the leg side, triggering an euphoric celebration before he and Warner embraced.

The knock continues a golden run for the 25-year-old, who has now hit scores of above 50 in six of his past nine innings. The tourists were their own worst enemies.

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They bowled poorly, with debutant Muhammad Musa regularly being far too short and the recalled Mohammad Abbas having virtually no impact.

“They probably bowled a fraction too short, didn’t make us bowl straight down the ground,” Warner said.

“I think you’ve got to try and dry up the field a little bit and try and get us playing straight and I think we were able to score freely.”

At one stage they bowled part-time off spinner Iftikhar Ahmed in the second over after the dinner break, when the pink ball is hardest to face under lights.

Shaeen Shah Afridi also produced two howlers on the boundary, one time kicking the ball over the rope and at another point running the wrong way on a ball hit straight at him.

He did however provide the only highlight for Pakistan, getting Burns edging behind cheaply.

© AAP

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