David Warner added another chapter to his storied history at the SCG on Sunday afternoon, peeling off his fifth hundred of the summer to help Australia wrap up the one-day-international series against Pakistan with a match to spare.
His 130 off 119 balls in the 86-run win was the sixth time he'd reached triple figures at international level on his home ground and came not even three weeks after his record-breaking first-session ton against Pakistan in the Sydney Test.
The hard-hitting opener wasted no time in declaring his intentions on a glorious afternoon in Sydney before 31,979 fans, and had his first ODI century against Pakistan inside 30 overs. Prior to this sparkling knock, Warner had managed only 58 runs in the first three matches of the series.
It was his third ODI hundred of the summer after a pair of centuries against New Zealand in December which preceded his drought-breaking ton at the MCG in the Boxing Day Test.
Some innovative late hitting from Glenn Maxwell, who plundered 78 from 44, helped Australia post 6-353 which proved far too inflated for the tourists.
"It's our home turf we should always try and do well here," Warner said.
"I just love coming back home and just resting, sleeping in my own bed, doing my own routines at home and then coming here to play cricket. It's a childhood dream to come out here and play cricket for NSW and for your country.
"Every time I come here I pinch myself and want to do well.
"Generally here in Sydney the ball doesn't swing as much. There was one or two that swung outside the off stump and then we felt the ball was just probably going to stay on the stumps.
"We played our natural game and it allowed us to actually free the arms a little bit.
"It's always an amazing feeling. I was probably a little bit slower today than in the [Sydney] Test match. They've bowled well to me the last three games and today was about me coming out with a clear mind and trying to upset them a little bit."
Warner's latest swashbuckling knock came in front of Australia's 1987 World Cup winning team who convened at the SCG to belatedly receive the winners' medals they were never awarded 30 years ago after beating England in the final in India to win the tournament.
The decision to award the medals retrospectively was made in June last year at a meeting of the International Cricket Council's chief executives committee.
Australia's World Cup-winning veterans which also included Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Dean Jones and David Boon were treated to a batting masterclass from Warner who crashed the ball into the boundary 11 times and blasted it over the rope twice.
On 113 he was dropped at mid on by a dispirited Hasan Ali, but the Pakistan quick had the last laugh when he had the 30-year-old caught behind.
Ali finished with 5-52 off his 10 overs, dismissing Maxwell with the last ball of the innings, but by then the damage had already been inflicted.
Curiously, second gamer Peter Handscomb didn't bat after his impressive debut 82 at the WACA, despite Australia losing six wickets with Travis Head, Maxwell, wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and paceman Mitchell Starc all promoted ahead of the Victorian batsman who batted at number for in Perth.
Sharjeel Khan led the chasing charge for Pakistan hitting three sixes in an entertaining 74 from 47, but when he was caught at deep mid wicket by centurion Warner off the bowling of Zampa, Pakistan's challenge lost significant steam.
Mohammad Hafeez (40) and Shoaib Malik (47) put on 64 for the fourth wicket to delay the inevitable, but the required run rate was out of reach by that stage. Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa both finished with three wickets apiece.
The fifth and final one-dayer against Pakistan takes place on Australia Day at Adelaide Oval before a three-match ODI series in New Zealand early next month.
Three Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka in Australia follow prior to next month's four-Test tour of India.
