David Warner jumped in the air, doffed his helmet towards the dressing room, and looked up thankfully to the heavens.
For the first time since the Boxing Day Ashes Test of 2017, cricket's most vilified run-machine had finally scored a century in the colours of Australia.
Warner is still on his journey to redemption, not least in his homeland, for devising the ruse of rubbing the ball with sandpaper against South Africa last March, an outrage under Table Mountain that earned him a rebuke from his outraged prime minister.
David Warner scored his first century since returning from his ban as Australia beat Pakistan
Warner struck 107 as Australia reached 307 all out in 49 overs at Taunton on Wednesday
Captain Aaron Finch hit 82 from 84 deliveries in an opening stand of 146 for the Aussies
The humiliation, which landed him a 12-month ban, no doubt fed into his wide, ginger-whiskered smile when the ton came in 111 balls, with 11 fours and one six.
It set up Australia for a 41-run victory over a Pakistan team that blew hot and cold – surprise, surprise – and came closer to toppling their opponents than the margin suggests.
Before the match, Australia captain Aaron Finch had promised that Warner would be back to his 'dangerous best' after scoring solidly so far this World Cup.
And here, at shivering Taunton, the star batsman indeed found his rhythm. He was a compact ball of perpetual action.
Warner and Finch, who contributed 82 with six fours and four sixes, put on 146 for the first wicket, the highest opening partnership of the tournament, a platform built on the back of some second-rate bowling and occasionally risible fielding.
Opener Imam ul-Haq top-scored with 53 for Pakistan as they tried to chase down the target
Late hitting from Wahab Riaz gave Pakistan a chance after they had collapsed in the middle
Mohammad Amir is clean bowled for a duck by Mitchell Starc as Australia close in on victory
The Australian total would have
