Five of David Warner's best Test innings ahead of Boxing Day milestone
A first Test century is always special and Warner didn't have to wait long to bring up three figures for the first time as he reached the milestone in just his second Test.
It came during the second innings of Australia's second Test against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in Hobart, with Michael Clarke's side chasing 241 for victory on a tricky fourth-day pitch.
Warner held the run chase together and batted throughout as Australia fell just seven runs short of victory, but the left-hander showed enough to suggest he belonged at the top level. He was deservedly named Player of the Match for his fourth innings heroics.
Despite his efforts with the bat in Hobart, there were still plenty of pundits that doubted Warner's ability and still thought of him as a Twenty20 specialist that would prove to be an unreliable commodity at Test level.
But those doubts were quickly put to rest during the fourth Test of Warner's career as the then 25-year-old smashed a world-class India attack to all parts of the WACA ground in Perth to help Australia continue their dominance of the Asian side on home soil.
Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus had done the majority of the damage to dismiss the MS Dhoni-led India for just 161 in their first innings, but Warner and Ed Cowan were expected to struggle on a traditional WACA pitch that offered plenty of bounce and movement for the quicks.
Australia's openers put on 214 for the first wicket, with Warner hitting 20 fours and five massive sixes to immediately show the world he was more than just a one-trick pony.
Australia ended up amassing 369 on the back of Warner's brilliant century and India were all out for 171 in their second innings as the hosts clinched an empathic victory and the brash opener claimed another Player of the Match award.
While Warner has made a bevy of larger scores than this through his first 99 Tests, this century against India at his home ground at the start of 2015 is the one that has meant the most to the aggressive opener.
It was Warner's first international century at the SCG and came just 41 days after his teammate and close friend Phillip Hughes was fatally felled at the ground.
Warner was emotional after he brought up his hundred as he kissed the SCG turf and pointed to the heavens to pay tribute to Hughes and then spoke of the importance of the knock after another dominant opening day by Australia.
"It was the best (century) of my career, I am going to say that now because that will stick with me for the rest of my life,” Warner said after day one.
"I just had a gut feeling that my little mate was down the other end from ball one."
The match ended up a draw, with Warner's knock and ongoing tribute to Hughes what the Test will be remembered for.
It was during this series that Pakistan really learnt just how destructive Warner could be as the dynamic opener became just the fifth batter in the history of Test cricket to score a century prior to lunch on the first day of a Test.
Warner was at his brilliant best right from the outset and no Pakistan bowler was spared as he went to lunch unbeaten on 100* and with Australia already in control at 126/0 from 27 overs
While Warner was out shortly after lunch with the score on 152, fellow opener Matthew Renshaw continued on his merry way to post his highest Test score of 184 as Australia posted a massive total of 538/8 (dec) and cruised to a 220-run victory.
Warner has obviously enjoyed playing against Pakistan during his first 99 Tests, with an equal-best five of his centuries coming against the Asian nation and the 36-year-old boasting an imposing average of 83.53 against them.
That healthy average can be mainly attributed to Warner's record-breaking knock in Adelaide three years ago as he dined out on a Pakistan attack that included a young Shaheen Afridi and an ageing Yasir Shah.
Warner was unbeaten on 166* after the first day and then upped the ante the following day as Pakistan's tiring bowlers struggled to come to grips with the slightly different pink-ball conditions and the difficult Adelaide heat.
The Australian opener went past the great Don Bradman to claim the highest Test score at the iconic Adelaide venue (299 against South Africa in 1931-32) and picked up another Player of the Match award by amassing his only triple-century and highest Test score to date.
