The Sunday Mail
David Warner has found his good luck charm, and it comes in the form of his three-year-old daughter Indi Rae.
The Australian opener took a bow and so he should have.
Public enemy number one last year as Australian cricket was plunged into an unprecedented crisis, it was far from certain he would ever get back to this stage, let alone conquer it.
Now, he is on top of the world with the first triple-century in Test cricket since 2016 and the second-highest score ever by an Australian, a magnificent career-defining innings of patience, poise and power that will not soon be forgotten.
Warner cruised to his historic triple ton century off just 389 balls, the first triple century in Test cricket history at Adelaide Oval.
In the process, he went past Don Bradman’s 299 not out (versus South Africa in 1932), which was the highest Test score at the venue.
The ton comes after the 154 the left-hander chalked up at the Gabba just last week against Pakistan, making him the first Australian to hit two successive scores of over 150 since Michael Clarke in 2012.
His record for the international summer is now a ridiculous 607 runs at an average of 303.5, after also dominating the early-season Twenty 20s.
But when asked to identify a common denominator between his two big Test tons, Warner was quick to point out his daughter.
“The little one stayed with me last night, that’s little Indi,” Warner said.
“That’s two nights in a row before I’ve got hundreds and last night was a bit of superstition.
“So I let her stay with me, and I let the girls stay in the other room. Indi is my little lucky charm.”
It’s not the first time Warner’s daughters have been a good luck charm for the left-hander.
When Ivy Mae was born in 2014, he hit a century in the first Test that followed. When Indi Rae was born in 2016, his next two one-day scores were 93 and 122.
And when wife Candice and he welcomed Isla Rose during the World Cup, he backed it up with 122 from 117 balls against South Africa.
It’s a clear sign that any lost sleep to young children has never harmed him.
“The other time (in Brisbane) she (Indi) didn’t wake up until 7.30am, and this morning she woke up at 6am and asked me if she could actually get up,’ Warner said.
And at 7.00am, I walked out and she was actually asleep in the lounge.
“She didn’t bother me, but I’m used to that and I thoroughly love it. I’m fortunate enough to have my family on tour and it’s never a hassle on tour.”
With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that home is always where the heart is for Warner, both on and off the field.
He now averaged 63.77 in Australia with 17 of his 23 centuries having come at home, compared to an average of 34.50 away.
“I don’t really take any notice, to be honest,” he said. “A lot of great players in the world haven’t really scored that many hundreds away from their countries. My job is to try and score as many runs as I can when I’m at home and away. – Dailymail
“You don’t really go into those away series thinking that you haven’t scored hundreds here or you haven’t scored big runs anywhere.” – Dailymail
