'Can't believe it': Cricket world in shock over David Warner moment

Fans and commentators were left in disbelief on Thursday night when David Warner fell agonisingly short of a century for the second-consecutive Test match.

Warner needed pain-killing injections for his ribs to get on the field before turning one of Australia's most dramatic days of Test cricket into one of dominance in Adelaide.

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The Aussie opener hit his way to 95 before throwing away an Ashes century at the Adelaide Oval, before Australia went to stumps on Thursday at 2-221.

Warner was cruising towards triple figures and hardly seemed troubled by England's attack, only to hit a cut shot straight to Stuart Broad while five runs away from a ton.

The left-hander has now been dismissed in the 90s in consecutive innings after his knock of 94 in the first Test in Brisbane.

Remarkably, Warner had only ever been dismissed in the 90s once before in Test cricket heading into the Ashes.

“I can’t believe it. I’m stunned,” Aussie legend Ricky Ponting said in commentary for Channel 7.

Shane Warne said on Fox Cricket: “I’ve got nothing. I’m speechless”.

While Mike Atherton said on SEN Radio: "England were on their knees. They can't believe they've picked up Warner. On a bad day, it's given them a sniff now."

Warner came up just short of his fifth Test century in Adelaide.

He has four tons at the Adelaide Oval, the Gabba and Sydney Cricket Ground - his best returns at any ground.

The left-hander's average in Adelaide is now 81.42.

David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne punish England

Marnus Labuschagne was also on the verge of his first ton against England, unbeaten on 95 after playing out his last 32 balls for just one run under the lights.

Labuschagne and Warner combined for a 174-run second-wicket stand, just hours after Pat Cummins had been ruled out of the Test and confined to his hotel room as a close contact.

Steve Smith was also unbeaten on 18 after taking back the captaincy from Cummins and wearing the quick's blazer to the toss given the short notice.

But it was Warner who asserted himself at the Adelaide Oval as England's tactics of bumping both him and Labuschagne fell short.

After being hit in the ribs last week and not batting properly since, Warner was circumspect to start with and took 20 balls to get off the mark in his slowest-ever start to an innings.

It came as England's first 10 overs and last 10 were lively, beating the bat seven times in the first hour, having six balls crash into the pads and three reviews knocked back.

Their only reward however was Marcus Harris on three, caught spectacularly by Jos Buttler off Stuart Broad and continuing his run of 13 dismissals without reaching 50.

But crucially, the 69 overs in between offered nothing for the tourists, with tactics of six men on the leg-side that Warner himself admitted he didn't understand.

Warner's knock also came after he averaged just 9.5 in the 2019 Ashes, knocked over seven times by Broad, who returned with Anderson in Adelaide.

"If you look at seven dismissals (in England), I probably played at some I didn't have to," Warner said.

"But the difference I feel the length they bowled here today isn't hitting the stumps. That length in England is.

"I batted out of my crease and Marnus did too to be able to adapt to leave the ball on a good length."

Meanwhile, Labuschagne rode his luck, dropped on 21 and 95 by Buttler on chances that should have been taken.

But between those moments he drove stylishly and employed the pull shot with success, helping give Australia the chance to time their run perfectly on day two.

with AAP

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