Warner scores fourth fastest Test ton

Perth: Australia`s David Warner etched his name in to the record books after he joined Shivnarine Chanderpaul in slamming the fourth fastest Test ton, on day one of the third Test against India at the WACA.

The left-hander bettered West Indian Chris Gayle`s 70-ball century as he hit the 69th delivery of his inning from Vinay Kumar over the fence to register his second Test century. Warner looked in command from the outset, cutting and pulling the bowlers to all corners of the park during his 80-ball unbeaten stay at the crease. He was struck by a bouncer from Umesh Yadav on the ear when he was on 80, but that didn`t proved to be a deterrent for the New South Wales batsman as he struck 13 fours and three sixes to finish the day on an unbeaten 104. En route to his century, the 25-year-old also became the third Australian after Adam Gilchrist and Jack Gregory to enter the list of top 10 fastest century makers in Test cricket. Gilchrist scored a century off 57-balls to be placed second on the chart, after the legendary Vivian Richards of the West Indies, while Gregory brought his hundred in 67 balls. Richards had scored a 56-ball ton against England during the second innings of the fifth Test match of the Wisden Trophy at Antigua in April 1986. The two Indians on the list are Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin. While Kapil scored his hundred off 74 balls against Sri Lanka at Kanpur in December 1986, Azhar smashed the South African bowlers at Kolkata during the second Test of the three-match series to raise his century in 75 balls. PTI