Adelaide: It was Australia Day on Thursday, and it seemed to have coincided with David Warner week. Three days after claiming his second straight Allan Border medal, the left-hander made Pakistani captain Azhar Ali pay for dropping a difficult chance at second slip off the first ball of the dead rubber one-day international at Adelaide Oval, breaking myriad records in making 179 from 128 balls. Accompanied by a maiden ODI century from Travis Head, Warner set up a 57-run win for the hosts.
Set an improbable 370 to win after Australia posted a ground-record 7-369 from their 50 overs, Pakistan were stubborn but only fleetingly in the hunt.
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Warner and Head set up big Australia Day win
David Warnerâs fastest ODI century and a maiden ton by Travis Head set the platform for for a 57 run win over Pakistan.
Mitchell Starc struck in the third over of the chase, completing a dirty day for Azhar who departed lbw for six. Babar Azam and Sharjeel Khan built a reasonable platform, putting on 130 for the second wicket. Sharjeel reached his third straight half-century, but Australian captain Steve Smith called back his strike bowler to curb the resistance, and it worked, as an overzealous Sharjeel top-edged Starc to be caught by Matthew Wade for 79 in the 25th over. Starc was again successful in his next over, as Mohammad Hafeez was removed for three after edging the left-armer to Smith at first slip.
Babar kept ticking the scoreboard over and ensured he left this country with an even century from 109 balls, but despite some lusty late hitting from Umar Akmal (46), the match petered out. As late wickets tumbled the crowd of 27,929 thinned, with interest shifting to the nearby fireworks display and events at Melbourne Park. Starc was the pick of the bowlers, claiming the final wicket with the first ball of the final over, bowling Wahab Riaz to end with 4-42, as Pakistan were bowled out for 312, slumping to a 4-1 series defeat to end a forgettable tour.
![Man of the moment: David Warner walks from the field after another huge knock.](/web/20170127040039im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/z/k/g/s/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtz3xg.png/1485435471492.jpg)
Warner however was again the story. When he was eventually caught low to the ground at point by Babar off the bowling of Junaid Khan in the 42nd over, the opener was just six runs shy of Shane Watson's Australian ODI record of 185 not out. Warner had tormented the Pakistan attack again after his 130 at the SCG four days ago, and two centuries during the preceding Test series between the nations.
Such were Warner's feats that Head's breakthrough ton - scored at his home ground and on his national day of celebration - was overshadowed, even though their first-wicket stand of 284 was an Australian ODI record for any wicket. But not only was Head's 128 from 135 balls therefore significant historically, so too could it prove important as Australia's one-day XI takes shape ahead of the Champions Trophy later this year. Head had been recalled to join Warner at the top of the order at the expense of the struggling Usman Khawaja, who was replaced by James Faulkner.
![James Faulkner tries to force the pace.](/web/20170127040039im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/z/i/a/s/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtz3xg.png/1485435471492.jpg)
The South Australian's knock on Thursday might have put him ahead in the race to open with Warner at the ICC event, although Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch will probably have chances to stake their claims in the upcoming series in New Zealand as Khawaja and Warner turn their attention to the Test tour of India.
It would have been different though had Azhar held on as Warner edged Mohammad Amir first ball after Smith made it a perfect five tosses won for the series. Alas for the Pakistan skipper, whose position was already under scrutiny before this match, the ball proved elusive despite a dive to his wrong side. Warner would later be dropped by Amir on 130, but by then much of the damage had been done.
With Warner in this sort of touch, it was hard to keep track of the records and milestones there for the taking. As a sample, Warner's consecutive tons in this series meant he became the first batsman to make four ODI centuries in an Australian summer, and brought him to a total of six ODI 100s for the 2016-2017 season, tying Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara's record of six.
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