After sealing the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka 4-1, Australia stand-in skipper David Warner has admitted that his century in the fifth and the final match in Pallekele came as a 'sigh of relief' for him.
Chasing a lowly target of 196 runs, Warner led from the front as he scored a knock of 106 runs off 126 balls, besides sharing a 132-run partnership with George Bailey (44) for the third wicket, to help his side chase down the target with 42 balls to spare.
It was seventh ODI hundred for Warner, who also became the first Australian batsman to score a ODI ton in Sri Lanka.
"It's obviously great to get a hundred but for me it was a bit of sigh of relief. I never doubted myself and kept backing and executing my plans. You do need a bit of luck in this game and I'm pretty sure I hit that one to short leg (leg slip) but that's part and parcel of the game, you get a bit of luck your way and fortunate tonight I got that luck," Warner was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
While reflecting on his partnership with Bailey, the 29-year-old said the duo had to grind on a slow pitch using a lot of sweeps and reverse sweeps to help Australia claim a five-wicket win over Angelo Mathew's side.
"So, we just had to try and grind away and use the bit of pace they were giving on the ball, and try to sweep and reverse sweep as much as we can. That was the game plan we had to try and manufacture [shots]. It is quite handy sometimes when you don't have that rhythm or hitting the ball out of the middle and to actually be able to play that kind of role it does help," the stand-in skipper added.
Warner also revealed the reasons as to why Australia were whitewashed in the Test series but bounced back strongly in the ODIs against Lanka.
The swashbuckling batsman pointed out that his side did not 'adapt fast enough' in the Test series as they adjusted themselves in the ODIs with their shot selection.
"In these conditions you're going to have to sweep, you need to use your feet, you're going to have to watch the ball hard onto the bat where you can't leave the ball because one is going to skid on.
They're the variables in this game and I think that's where we lacked a little bit [in the Tests]. We didn't adapt fast enough. In the one-day game you get some release because you can't have those catchers around the bat. You can, but [against the] white ball you can play these kinds of shots, there's no reason why you can't play in the Test matches. That's how you're going to have to score in these conditions," he insisted.
The two sides will now play the two-match T20 series, starting from Tuesday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
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