David Warner says he relishes taking his cricket to the opposition and was at his irresistible best again when he completed back-to-back hundreds against India in the first Adelaide Test on Friday.
The belligerent Australian opener rode his luck in scoring 102 after his 145 in the first innings and has now scored 11 centuries in 33 Test matches.
Warner did not shy away from the blow-ups he was involved in with the Indian players during his fighting knock which helped put Australia into a strong position with a 363-run lead heading into Saturday’s final day.
One of the confrontations was triggered when Warner was bowled by express paceman Varun Aaron for 66 in the 34th over, only to be recalled when replays showed Aaron had sent down a no-ball.
Aaron had given Warner a triumphant send-off, but the pugnacious opener responded in kind when he was recalled to the crease.
Shane Watson, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan all joined in, exchanging sharp words before umpire Ian Gould eventually calmed down the warring parties.
“That’s what happens in cricket. Things happen in the past, things happen in the IPL (Indian Premier League),” Warner said.
“There are a few send-offs here and there but he (Aaron) bowled pretty well, he bowled tight and probably thought he deserved that reward and it’s unlucky in cricket that you bowl no-balls.
“It’s how cricket’s played. When things don’t go your way and you get that adrenaline.
“For him to bowl that no-ball and for me to come back in and sort of have a go at him, I shouldn’t have, but it got me into another contest.
“I had to regroup and start again and you just have to ride that roller-coaster in cricket as much as you can.”
Warner has a reputation in cricket for being a straight-shooter and he admits he does “cross the line.”
“The world knows how I like to get involved, and how I play my cricket and that’s how it is,” he said.
“I try to take it to them, if I have to be a bit verbal I will and sometimes I cross that line and I have to try not to.”
Warner said it was in his thoughts that his close friend Phillip Hughes had scored back-to-back centuries in a Test against South Africa in Durban in 2009.
Warner was deeply affected by the death of Hughes after he was struck by a short-pitched ball in a domestic game last month.
“It was definitely in the back of my mind. We have seen the highlights of his back-to-back hundreds in the last week or so and it’s a fitting thing, he was giving me some luck out there today,” Warner said.
“It’s a memorable thing to get back-to-back hundreds in a Test and he (Hughes) played a fantastic knock in South Africa.”
