Warner savours Marsh’s birthday ton more than his own as Australia keep ICC Cricket World Cup hopes alive with win over Pakistan

Mitch Marsh’s tasty reward for scoring a crucial World Cup century looks like having his face rubbed into his birthday cake.

Opening partner David Warner was so happy that Marsh reached three figures on his 32nd birthday in the win over Pakistan in Bengaluru on Friday that he actually sounded happier for his mate than for his own ton.

It was a measure of Marsh’s popularity within the team that Warner was so excited about the Perth powerhouse reaching only the second ODI hundred of his fine all-round career in their ‘David and Goliath’ partnership.

“Look, we love each other’s success,” said Warner, whose 163 off 124 balls may have eclipsed Marsh’s 121 off 108 in their 259-run stand, which provided the basis for Australia’s 62-run win.

‘You have to be happy for your teammate. I know he missed one in (South) Africa (and also in India last month) and he has been playing really well lately.

“You always went to bat for him and I was so ecstatic for him.

“You know, he’s a great guy to have in the locker room. He’s the life of the party, he brings out the best in everyone and he’s always a character – and that’s what you need in teams and in these back-to-the-wall games, you need that .

“It was great for him to come and do that today. And also on his birthday!’

Mitch Marsh smashed a century on his 32nd birthday to help Australia to victory over Pakistan

Warner also scored a century but he was happier for his opening partner because of his performance with the bat

Warner knows all that your teammates can do to you when you score a ton in India, having once had his Sunrisers Hyderabad colleagues smear his face with chocolate cake after lashing a ton from 59 balls.

“Mitch said to me today that he didn’t really score any points on his birthday, so he’s happy with that. But hey, I think he’ll get the Indian tradition tonight: pie in the face!’

The 36-year-old Warner may have to be careful not to get his own face rubbed too after achieving the 21st ODI hundred of his career.

Between them, Warner and Marsh had 24 fours and 18 sixes in their partnership, with the former clear that his mate had been the superior butcher.

“I was probably the opposite: David and Goliath,” the 1.71m Warner mused, speaking of his 1.93m buddy.

‘He hit the ball so well and was very unlucky to get out the way he did (caught on short fine leg).

“He’s in such a good state of mind right now and we love it when Mitch is in that zone. Today his pace was very, very good… He performed very, very well and he was upset that he didn’t continue today.’

The even better news for Australia was that Warner brushed aside a potential injury problem and had nothing to worry about after failing to take the field for the Pakistan innings.

‘I’m feeling good. Just cramps,” he said. “I went upstairs, took an ice bath and once you do that for some reason you get cramps. I tried, I went out there, chased the ball to the fence and then came back and just had cramps in both adductor muscles.”