• Home
  • Player Stories
  • When Warner Set The Mcg Ablaze With Explosive 89 On T20i Debut Against Sa

When Warner Set the MCG Ablaze With Explosive 89 On T20I Debut Against SA

image-lqyyusrsWarner in his debut T20I [X.Com]

Australian stalwart, David Warner recently hung up his boots from ODI and Test cricket, calling time on a glittering international career. Known for his electrifying batting and never-say-die attitude, Warner's retirement draws the curtain on an era defined by his fearless approach to the game.

David Warner's debut became a masterclass in aggression with 89 off 43 balls

Warner's international debut was nothing short of a fairy tale. The pint-sized dynamo, then a 22-year-old with a buzz cut, boldly stepped onto the cricketing stage, bypassing the traditional first-class route. His selection to the Australian T20 team in 2009 was a bolt from the blue, defying convention and setting a precedent not seen for 132 years since the dawn of Test cricket.

Rewinding to the genesis of his international career, Warner's debut in 2009 was nothing short of a cricketing fairytale. Eschewing the beaten path of first-class cricket, a 22-year-old Warner leaped straight into Australia's national T20 team.

This groundbreaking selection, a rarity not witnessed in over a century, was totally unexpected. Warner had stormed onto the scene, driven not by convention, but by raw talent and a fondness for the spectacular.

Warner’s debut match was set at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where he walked out to face a formidable South African team, flanked by 65,000 spectators. This was a David versus Goliath scenario, with Warner facing a fearsome bowling attack led by Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Jacques Kallis, and a batting lineup boasting the likes of AB de Villiers and Herschelle Gibbs.

Yet, the enormity of the occasion did little to faze Warner. He unleashed an innings of sheer brilliance, notching up the second-fastest Twenty20 fifty and leaving the Proteas in his wake. Smashing 89 runs off just 43 balls, Warner's debut was a classic display of aggressive batting, setting the tone for a career that would be marked by numerous such breathtaking knocks.


Warner's explosive innings came to an end in the 14th over, a whirlwind of destruction that took place within a mere 14 overs. His batting was a spectacle, leaving fans and opponents alike in awe of what could have been a sensational century, had fortune favoured him a bit more. Despite falling short of the coveted three-figure mark, Warner's blistering knock led Australia to 182/9 in their 20 overs.