Resurgent Australia veteran David Warner has ended a century drought of almost three years by becoming the second player to score a double ton in their 100th Test.
The 36-year-old opener reached three figures for the first time since January 2020 just after lunch on day two of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the MCG.
Despite dealing with sun stress and persistent cramps in hot conditions on Tuesday, Warner made up for his lean run by cashing in during the final session to bring up the third double-century of his storied Test career.
Upon reaching the milestone by guiding the ball through slips down to third man, an emotional and exhausted Warner fell to his knees and triumphantly pumped his fists.
But Warner was unable to bat on, retiring hurt on 200 as he was helped off the MCG by medical staff. He had faced 254 balls, hitting 16 fours and two sixes.
Warner had been under immense pressure after entering the final Test of the year averaging just 20.61 from 10 matches in 2022.
He put on a 239-run stand with long-time state and national teammate Steve Smith to guide Australia to a commanding position.
"I think the more he started to cramp, the more shots he started to play and everything seemed to be coming out of the middle," said Smith, who attended the post-play press conference instead of a weary Warner.
"It was an amazing knock and nice to be up the other end for for a large chunk of it."
Being just the 14th Australian to play 100 Tests has brought out the best in Warner, who raced to his 25th century in the format.
The aggressive left-hander is the 10th player to score a ton in his 100th Test and only the second Australian, after Ricky Ponting smashed dual centuries in 2006.
The only other player to bring up three figures in their 100th Test was England star Joe Root, who hit 218 against India in February, 2021.
The decline in Warner's red-ball form had been so sharp he had failed to pass 50 since the third Test against Pakistan in Lahore in March.
Warner has hinted about retiring from Tests in the near future but is desperate to be part of blockbuster tours of India and England next year.
He has been dealing with the ongoing fallout from Sandpapergate, and recently withdrew an appeal against the lifetime leadership ban Cricket Australia's imposed on him.
Warner on Saturday conceded his mental health was impacted by the process and fired another shot at CA, saying the governing body gave him no support at the start of the summer.
"You'd think by now writing David off is probably the wrong thing to do; he thrives on that," Warner's wife Candice told Fox Cricket on Tuesday.
CENTURIES IN 100TH TEST
Colin Cowdrey (Eng) 104 v Australia, 1968
Javed Miandad (Pak) 145 v India, 1989
Gordon Greenidge (WI) 149 v England, 1990
Alec Stewart (Eng) 105 v West Indies, 2000
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak) 184 v India, 2005
Ricky Ponting (Aus) 120 and 143* v South Africa, 2006
Graeme Smith (SA) 131 v England, 2012
Hashim Amla (SA) 134 v Sri Lanka, 2017
Joe Root (Eng) 218 v India, 2021
David Warner (Aus) 200 (ret hurt) v South Africa, 2022
