'I Wasn't Trying To...': Tim David Reveals What Helped Him In Scoring Record-Breaking T20I Century For Australia

Tim David' s record-breaking knock helped Australia chase down a big total in the third T20I against the West Indies and secure the series 3-0 with two matches still to play.

Pic credit: X (Twitter)

Tim David smashed a record-breaking century for Australia against West Indies in the third T20I at St Kitts. David’s unbeaten knock (102 off just 37 balls) was the fastest T20I century ever by an Australian and it helped Australia chase down 215 with 23 balls to spare in the third T20I against the West Indies and secure the series 3-0 with two matches still to play. 

It was a memorable knock for the 29-year-old, who achieved a personal milestone he wasn’t sure he’d ever reach, considering his batting position in the lineup. Notably, David walked in at 61/3 in 5.5 overs and put on a show with the bat, hitting 11 sixes and six fours along the way. 

"I don't play for records, but certainly I didn't think I'd get the opportunity to score a hundred. It is your childhood dream to score a hundred for Australia, so that was definitely in the back of my mind," Tim David said after the match.

"The position I've been playing, I've played a lot of T20 matches now and obviously I've never scored 100, so it was a little bit of foreign territory for me for a little bit.  I'm just really thankful I had Mitch Owen out there, who's scored a couple recently. My younger teammate, but certainly his experience helped me through," he added. 

During his memorable knock, David broke the previous record for the fastest-ever T20I century by an Australian, surpassing Josh Inglis’ 43-ball ton against Scotland last year. The 29-year-old's knock came with calmness and clarity, combined with sheer brutality of hitting and in his eyes, it all came down to preparation. 

"I practice it a lot and to be honest, a lot of the practice I've been doing recently over the past six months has helped a lot," David said.

"It's about shot selection and not actually trying to hit it too hard. It felt tonight like I wasn't trying to hit it too hard and it probably ended up with a good percentage of being able to hit the ball over the ropes," he added. 

Fastest T20I Century By An Australian

Player                    Against                       Balls

Tim David          West Indies, 2025          37
Josh Inglis          Scotland, 2024              43
Aaron Finch        England, 2013              47
Josh Inglis           India, 2023                  47
Glenn Maxwell    India, 2023                 47

A key figure in his innings was 24-year-old Mitch Owen, whose presence at the other end provided David with a steady hand and infectious energy during the mammoth chase. They combined to forge a 128-run stand off just 44 deliveries, with Owen remaining unbeaten on 36 off 16.

"What Mitch has been doing and the player he is now, he just backs his strengths and it's nice for someone like me to see that as a reminder," David said.

"You've got a guy coming in with fresh energy and he backs himself so much and picks the positive options, so that rubbed off on me and it was great," he added. 

Interestingly, the venue, Warner Park in St Kitts, holds special memories for David, who first made a mark here during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). That early experience, he admits, played a part in helping him navigate conditions under the lights.

"I've got really happy memories of playing here at Warner Park. The CPL was my first or second franchise gig overseas, so a lot of memories that you hold at the start of your career," David said.

"It's nice to come back here and to build on those, but to have a bit of experience and understand the conditions. It's going to be a pretty special one to remember," he added. 

The fourth T20I between Australia and West Indies is scheduled for Saturday, July 26 at the same venue.