'Shush': Warner confirms gesture as Cummins lauds approach

David Warner clarified that he made a shushing motion towards the media after reaching his century, with Pat Cummins lauding the veteran’s bravery in his aggressive approach on the opening day of the Test summer.

Subject to considerable scrutiny in the lead-in to the first NRMA Insurance Test against Pakistan, Warner made a pointed gesture upon bringing up a rollicking ton on Thursday with his 211-ball 164 underpinning Australia's day-one total of 5-346.

The 37-year-old confirmed his act had been directed at the media, but denied it had been aimed specifically at Mitchell Johnson, who wrote a scathing column on his former teammate in the local West Australian newspaper earlier this month.

"You saw what it was – it was a nice little quiet shush," Warner, whose desire to have a farewell Test at his home SCG next month now appears a certainty, told reporters at stumps.

Asked who the 'shush' was directed at, he said: "Just at anyone who wants to write stories about me and try to get headlines. That stuff doesn't bother me.

"I'm allowed to celebrate how I want."

Warner declined to respond directly to Johnson, saying only that "Mitch is entitled to his opinion, he's a former player".

The 37-year-old did reference Justin Langer's follow-up column in the same newspaper that criticism should not be made in public.

Warner insisted the saga over his place in the team had not distracted him. 

"I don't feel any extra pressure, I don't feel (like I have) any other points I have to prove," said Warner, who went past Michael Clarke and Matthew Hayden into fifth among Australia's all-time Test run scorers with his 26th red-ball hundred.

"I am getting older, so your games are limited. It's probably game-by-game now. If I fail next innings, there will probably be headlines.

"If people are out to get you, or make a headline from your name, then so be it. I can't worry about that, I'm going to worry about what I'm going to do for the team.

"I've got to keep scoring runs and putting my team in a great position."

Warner had torched a Pakistan attack featuring no specialist spinner and two debutant pacemen, memorably going after lead quick Shaheen Shah Afridi with a stunning six over fine-leg.

The opener finished with 16 fours and four sixes after being encouraged by team leaders to go after the opposition.

"It's what you expect from Davey when his back is up against the wall – he pulls off these kinds of innings’," Cummins told Fox Cricket.

"I think he probably made it look a bit of an easier wicket than what it was… it sets up the summer beautifully for him.

"I think he's always looking for something to get himself up and he doesn't need to look too far sometimes.

"You see him go back to his aggressive self, that's when he's at his aggressive best. I think that's when he's playing at his best. That's what we always try to encourage him to do. I think it really focuses him when he is under a bit of scrutiny.

"It takes a lot of bravery to go out and bat the way he has."

NRMA Insurance Test series v Pakistan

First Test: December 14-18, Perth Stadium (1.20pm AEDT)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (10.30am AEDT)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (10.30am AEDT)

Australia squad: (first Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi