Warrior Warner silences doubters with defiant double-ton

MELBOURNE :Short of runs and under pressure, David Warner entered the Boxing Day test against South Africa warning the doubters not to underestimate the fight of a "housing commission boy" with back against the wall.

On Tuesday, on day two of his 100th test, the veteran Australia opener retired on 200 in cramped-up exhaustion after tormenting the Proteas in a Melbourne Cricket Ground furnace, quashing all debate about his place in the side.

On the way to his third double-century in 254 balls, Warner posted his 25th hundred, and first in nearly three years, while becoming Australia's eighth player to notch 8,000 runs in tests.

The 36-year-old left-hander also joined England's Joe Root in a two-man club of players to score a double in their 100th test.

Though watchful in the nineties, Warner sealed his first hundred on Tuesday with typical aggression, pulling South Africa spearhead Kagiso Rabada to the fine leg fence to draw the crowd to their feet.

Five years on from a century against India in his 100th ODI, Warner ripped off his helmet and made his trademark leap into the steaming Melbourne air.

He has rarely held back after reaching a ton but there was added gusto in his celebrations as he blew kisses off his bat to family and fans around the ground.

Hours later, struggling in 37 degrees Celsius (99F) heat, Warner hit four off Lungi Ngidi to reach his second hundred.

After slumping to his knees and pumping his arms in the air, he got to his feet for another leap but the effort left him leaning on his bat on shaky legs.

DARKEST CHAPTER

It had hitherto been a forgettable home summer with the bat, clouded by off-field drama over his permanent leadership ban four years after the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.

Facing South Africa