David Warner joined an elite group of batsmen including Don Bradman and Victor Trumper to have scored a century in the opening session of a test with a milestone innings Tuesday in the series-concluding match against Pakistan.

Warner joined fellow Australians Trumper (1902 in Manchester), Charlie Macartney (1926 in Leeds) and Bradman (1930 in Leeds) as well as Pakistan's Majid Khan (1976 in Karachi) among the batsmen to have achieved the feat, and is the first to do so in the 140 years of test cricket in Australia.

"It's obviously an honour to be alongside those names and I had absolutely no idea about that stat," Warner said after the close of play. "I knew about hundreds in a session but not that stat at all."

"It's rewarding as an individual but as we know this game is a team sport and I'm just happy to get the guys off to a good start."

The left-handed opener plundered an insipid Pakistan bowling attack and frequently punctured the defensive field placements with powerful strokes in raising his 50 off 42 balls.

Warner increased his rate as the lunch break loomed and completed his remarkable century off 78 balls, including 17 boundaries, with a cut shot for three on the second ball of the last over before the interval. He removed his helmet and did his trademark leap to celebrate the century in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

David Warner's remarkable century in numbers (Getty)

It was his 18th test hundred and third at the SCG, following centuries against India (101) in 2015 and the West Indies (122 not out) last year.

He and Matt Renshaw shared a 151-run stand, before Warner was dismissed shortly after lunch for 113 off 95 balls when he edged through to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed off Wahab Riaz.

"I always ride my luck and I play it the way I see it," said Warner. "I live by the sword and die by the sword whether it's the first ball or the last ball."

Australia finished the day at 365-3 and is seeking a series sweep after winning the first two tests at Brisbane and Melbourne.

Warner's fellow opener Renshaw finished the first day of his fourth test unbeaten on 167 having secured his maiden century and learned a valuable lesson about sticking to his own game.

The 20-year-old, whose innings helped Australia to a dominant day against Pakistan, was largely a spectator in the morning Warner blitzed his remarkable century at the other end.

"That first session was something of a whirlwind, Davy was just absolutely smoking them and I was on not many," said Renshaw, who had notched up 25 runs by the lunchbreak.

"He keeps telling me I'm not going to keep up with him and I didn't try today."

Warner's century might have been historic but for his country's long-term cricketing future, Renshaw's initially more cautious knock was perhaps more important.

Brought into the side after Australia were humbled by South Africa in November, Renshaw confirmed he had the aptitude for opening at the highest level, even if he was surprised at quite how well he had done.

Matt Renshaw salutes the crowd after his maiden century (Getty)

"You go into every game trying to do the best you can but I probably wasn't expecting to be this score tonight," he confessed.

He also showed no little courage to get back up after being knocked to the ground by a nasty blow to his helmet from a Mohammad Amir bouncer, an injury that required an examination by the team doctor under the new concussion protocols.

"He asked me if I was okay and I said I was fine. I just wanted to be out there, I didn't want to retire hurt on 91," Renshaw said, with the helmet and its misshapen grille in front of him on the table.

"He asked me the score and who was the last person out and how it was, I got them pretty right. I was four runs off the score so not so bad."

Renshaw has also clearly been on the receiving end of some good-natured teasing from the senior test players.

Vice captain Warner referred to him almost exclusively as "the youngster" in his news conference and suggested reporters ask Renshaw why Nathan Lyon had nicknamed him 'turtle'.

"I was coming out of my shell a little bit the first week (in the test squad) and then Dave Warner and Steve Smith came back and I didn't say too much," Renshaw explained.