In a nutshell: A tale of two centuries

The scorecard: Australia 3-365 (Renshaw 167no, Warner 113)

The day in a tweet: KABOOM! Warner smashes the first century before lunch in Australia EVER before opening partner Renshaw bats through the day. Aussies on top!

The toss: Australia, who chose to bat

The changes: Australia – O’Keefe, Cartwright in; Bird, Maddinson out. Pakistan – Sharjeel, Imran Khan in; Aslam, Sohail out.

The hero: David Andrew Warner. What an innings. A century from 78 balls. The first ton before lunch ever in Australia. The fifth batsman ever to post three figures before the main break. The first since 1976. The first Australian since a certain Don Bradman in 1930. It was a massacre. There have been faster centuries, but none on the first morning of a Test when the bowlers are at their freshest, there’s a bit in the pitch for the quicks, and a brand new ball swinging and seaming.

Well, at least it was before Warner knocked off the shine and bashed it out of shape. Seventeen boundaries bounced off the 30-year-old’s brand new bat that’s emblazoned with pink stickers for the annual Pink Test in Sydney. He crashed the second, fourth and fifth ball he faced on Tuesday to the rope, and did not let up as he stampeded to his half-century from 42 deliveries. Time and his phlegmatic opening partner Matthew Renshaw were the only thing that could prevent Warner from reaching three figures as the Pakistan pace attack were reduced to bystanders, unable to challenge the determined batsman. In the penultimate over before lunch, Warner ticked off the final five runs he needed to post his 18th Test century in front of the then 25,000 adoring fans. A performance like that was impossible to replicate or maintain, and after adding 13 more to his total he was out caught behind, visibly upset as he walked pack to the SCG Members Pavilion with another hundred, perhaps two, left out in the middle.

The sidekick: While Warner plundered Pakistan in quick time, Renshaw was patient. He was judicious. He was, like Warner, very successful. The 20-year-old, in just his fourth Test, posted his maiden Test century after the tea break, celebrating with a single-action fist pump before acknowledging the standing ovation from the 30,305 in attendance. Renshaw walked off for tea on 25, trailing his opening partner by a staggering 75 runs, but that was completely fine.

The Queenslander is the perfect foil for the explosive Warner, a batsman who is able to defend, leave and rotate the strike competently while his vice-captain goes gung-ho at the other end. The afternoon brought 58 runs and four more boundaries, and from the second ball after tea he crunched a square cut behind point for four as he set sail for triple figures.

There was a scare on 91, not about his wicket but his wellbeing after a bouncer from Mohammad Amir jagged off the wicket and clocked him in his grille. The protective headwear did its job and Renshaw carried on to score his first Test ton. Unsatisfied, Renshaw continued, receiving a second standing ovation when he reached 150 as the crowd bellowed ‘Renshaw, Renshaw, Renshaw’ in unison.  He left the middle undefeated on 167 from 275 balls to his third and final ovation.

The injury: Pakistan left-armer Mohammad Amir bowled seven overs in the morning session before disappearing in to the away dressing room. Reports from the Pakistan camp said Amir had a niggle in his left leg, but the time he spent off the field meant he was unable to bowl a single delivery between lunch and tea. On his return in the evening session, Amir went wicketless in his comeback five-over spell and finished the day with figures of 0-58 from 16 overs.

The debutants: Hilton Cartwright became Australia’s 450th Test player on day one, receiving his Baggy Green cap from former Western Australia allrounder Tom Moody. Cartwright got to sit back and watch his side pummel Pakistan, while Sharjeel Khan was stuck in the field chasing red leather all day.

The stat: Plenty to choose from, but Warner surpassed Western Australia coach and former batsman as Australia’s fifth-most prolific Test opener. While that’s impressive enough, Warner reached Langer’s mark of 5,112 in 2,323 fewer deliveries!

The wash-up: Day one was undoubtedly Australia’s day. It started at the toss when, in the presence of Daphne Benaud, the commemorative coin landed with Richie Benaud’s image facing skyward in favour of the home captain. Steve Smith wasted no time in electing to bat and from there it was a run-fest. Warner’s stunning century will long live in the minds of those in attendance at the iconic SCG, and for the committed patrons who stayed until stumps they witnessed perhaps the making of Australia’s next great opener.

As for Pakistan, they need to regroup, recalculate and rebound on day two. Their first order is to remove Renshaw and Peter Handscomb, then get stuck into debutant Cartwright, the out of nick Matthew Wade and the tail. The real problem is that the Australians, having scored at 4.1 runs per over, know how good the wicket is and they won’t want to stop batting on it anytime soon. Which means unless Pakistan can capture the remaining seven wickets promptly, expect Australia to bat and bat and bat, amass a total close to 550 and declare either 20 minutes before tea tomorrow or directly after it.