Watch: David Warner hits Shaheen Shah Afridi for a jaw-dropping scoop shot and later tells critics to shut up | Cricket News

David Warner slammed his 26th hundred in Tests on the first day of the first Test match against Pakan in Perth, getting to the milestone off just 125 balls.
He got to his hundred with a shot punched to the boundary and leapt into his trademark celebration. He then put his finger to his lips in a gesture than be construed as asking his detractors to shut up. He has been in the eye of the storm ever since he announced he wanted a farewell Test, with one-time teammate Mitchell Johnson writing a scathing criticism of him in an Australian newspaper.
The southpaw put the Pakan bowlers to the sword, bringing up his 50 off just 41 balls before ending the first session unbeaten on 72 from 67 deliveries.
Warner and opening partner Usman Khawaja made their intent known form the first over itself as they slapped the ball around to score 14 runs in the first over from Pakan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Oh What A Feeling #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/Csj44dnPf0
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But in Warner’s innings, one shot in particular caught the eye. Batting against Shaheen, in the 22nd over of the innings, he got down on one knee and scooped an outside-the-off-stump ball for a six over fine leg. In the process of hitting the shot, Warner fell flat on his back. But he had a smirk on his face as he got up and Sheen walked away to the top of his run up.
In the first session, Warner was clearly targetting Shaheen’s bowling. In the seventh over, he hit Pakan’s pace spearhead for back-to-back boundaries: cutting the first ball over point and then slapping the next ball to the leg side to lift Australia to 34-0.

Tired of the conventional, David Warner’s 12th boundary of the first session was nothing short of inventive! 😯#AUSvPAK @nrmainsurance #PlayOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/8ih9vnjhUj
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 14, 2023
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Warner is set to retire from Test cricket after this series. After his performance in the first innings, he is likely to retain his place in the side for the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which will start on Boxing Day. Warner has said he will retire after the third Test which will happen at his home ground in Sydney from January 3 to 7.

Warner’s public announcement that he was hoping for a farewell Test at Sydney had raised hackles of his one-time teammate Mitchell Johnson, who had attacked the left-handed batter in a column he wrote in an Australian newspaper.

🤫#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/pzraWkHmIa
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“As we prepare for David Warner’s farewell series, can somebody please tell me why?” Johnson wrote before making a making a reference to the ‘Sandpapergate’ ball-tampering scandal involving the Australia team in South Africa in 2018.
“Why a struggling Test opener gets to nominate his own retirement date. And why a player at the center of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket hory warrants a hero’s send-off?”