David Warner rates his Dhaka century the finest innings

The first Test in Australia’s tour of Bangladesh will go down as a historic one, not for Australia, but for the hosts, as it marked their first win against the Aussies in the longest format. However, David Warner too had something to remember in the match- a century at Dhaka. He rates it his best innings, ever. Scoring 112 runs, the highest individual score in the match, Warner admits that he owes his success to his ‘mind first, technique second’ philosophy.

One of the most destructive hitters in world cricket, the Australian opener in all three formats and the vice-captain to Steven Smith in the Test and ODI sides, adds that the working thesis for that is simple: if he bats with a clear mind, he sets the preconditions to be his best self at the crease. And has always been the one that looks first to score following his natural attacking game.

“I always talk about my defense taking care of itself if I am having that attacking approach,” Warner explained after the innings. “When things aren’t going my way, I’ve thought of defending rather than trying to set myself a platform looking to score. It is about trusting my game, and that is having that attacking approach with defense at the back of my mind,” he added

Morale boost against sub-continent weakness?

As a result, it was an innings Warner dubs the finest of his career. It is something he shares with Adam Gilchrist, who earlier this year cited a match-turning 144 he made against Bangladesh in Fatullah in 2006 as the knock he looks back on most fondly. It was perhaps considered more meaningful, given the added pressure on the vice-captain before entering the series without a century in the subcontinent and a meagre average of 30 in Asia.

“In a fourth innings in the subcontinent, I proved to myself that I am capable of doing it on turning tracks as well with that positive mindset and energy in the legs. That’s the key to getting down the wicket, lunging forward and launching back and not getting caught in between,” said the Aussie opener.