Warner notched up the highest score of IPL III, an unbeaten 107 in 69 balls and added 128 runs for the fourth wicket with Paul Collingwood (53 off 45) to resurrect the Daredevils innings after they were tottering at 38 for three at one stage.
The reversal of a decision enabled David Warner to complete a well-deserved century, but he had done the job for his team anyway by then.
The three-figure mark was a celebration ahead of the bigger one for a comprehensive victory as the diminutive 23-year-old from New South Wales helped Delhi Daredevils defeat Kolkata Knight Riders by 40 runs for their first home win in three matches.
The victory was the fourth in seven matches for the Daredevils and the fourth defeat in as many matches for the Sourav Ganguly-led side, which had been elbowed out of the chase by the ninth over, when they were reduced to 50-4 with Chris Gayle’s dismissal.
Gayle’s 30, in which he was once dropped by Virender Sehwag off Amit Mishra, and David Hussey (29), failed to convert their knocks into big ones amidst a crumbling middle order. Efforts from Angelo Mathews, Ajit Agarkar and Wriddhiman Saha were in a lost cause, and the enthusiasm of Ishant Sharma in coming out to bat after the 20 overs were completed, did not reflect the lack of urge to go for the target of 178.
It was the culmination of a forgettable day for Ishant, who did not open the bowling on his home ground. Captain Sourav Ganguly decided to go with spinner Gayle in an attempt to upset the early rhythm of the free-stroking Delhi batsmen.
Gayle was struck for two fours through the off side by Sehwag, but the batsman still fell in the first over of the match, the West Indian bowling one wide to ensure a stump dismissal.
Gambhir’s recovery from a hamstring injury did not translate into a substantial contribution as he was trapped lbw by Charle Langevelt. Dinesh Karthik was dismissed first ball by Ishant, who had gone for 17 runs in the previous five deliveries of his only over, and did not roll his arm over again.
It was left to the Aussie-Brit pair of Warner and Paul Collingwood to get about with the repair job, and quite a job it was. Warner struck a superb century while Collingwood could not have restored belief in the middle order in a better way than notching a solid half-century.
Warner, who reached the three-figure mark off 66 deliveries,
remained unbeaten on 107 withnine fours and five sixes, his over-boundary hit off Ishant early on being the pick of the lot as it came off the front foot with a cracking pull shot.
The opener had earlier reconciled to having missed a ton, having already reached the dug out after left-arm spinner Murali Kartik claimed a return catch, but was called back by the umpires after consulting the television official when on 96.
The thrust from Collingwood came late in the day, his two sixes off Gayle taking him past the 50-run mark and making up for the slower pace in some of the preceding overs.
Collingwood, who joined the IPL after doing Test duty in Bangladesh, was dismissed when Hussey flicked the ball back over the rope and jumped back from outside the boundary to complete the lovely effort.
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