A rampaging David Warner smashed a run-a-ball century to fire Australia to 278 for two — off just 58 overs at a rate of 4.8 runs an over — and wrest back the momentum from Pakistan after Azhar Ali’s unbeaten double hundred buoyed the touring side on day three of the second Test yesterday.
 Warner’s exhilarating 144 anchored a 198-run partnership with Usman Khawaja at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as Australia slashed the deficit to 165 runs after Pakistan’s first innings declaration of 443-9 after lunch.
 Khawaja was unbeaten on 95 at stumps, with captain Steve Smith on 10 not out and Australia holding genuine hope of forcing a result despite the rain interruptions that blighted the opening two days.
 Warner’s furious counter-attack sapped the morale from the tourists, who had also glimpsed a chance of a series-levelling victory following gritty opener Azhar’s brilliant knock of 205. More galling for Pakistan was that Warner was reprieved on 81 when he was bowled by a no ball from Wahab Riaz.
 “We’re in a good position now, our aim was to take the scoreboard out of the equation and just bat,” said Warner after a hot and sunny afternoon of work. “We can’t control the weather but we just want to bat as big as we can.”
 Paceman Wahab had a dreadfully wayward day, sending down 10 no-balls, including a hat-trick of overstepped marks in the over of Warner’s non-dismissal. It was a golden day, however, for opposing openers Warner and Azhar and both raced by a number of milestones.
 Azhar’s double hundred was the highest innings by a Pakistan player in Australia and only three runs shy of Viv Richards’ 1984 record for touring batsmen at the MCG. He also became his nation’s first to surpass 200 twice in a calendar year, having scored an unbeaten 302 against West Indies in Dubai in October.
 For Warner, his 17th century was his first at the MCG, completing a sweep of tons at Australia’s six state venues while ending a rare slump in form with the red ball. The pugnacious left-hander also galloped past 5,000 Test runs, joining the likes of Don Bradman, Ricky Ponting and the Chappell brothers.
 He reached his hundred with a streaky inside edge that raced to the fine leg boundary and did his customary leap and fist-pump in the air as the crowd of 25,393 roared.
 After hammering another six fours, Warner feathered an edge off Wahab, confirmed as caught behind by the third umpire after captain Misbah-ul-Haq asked for a review.
 It was a far better review than the first demanded by Mohamed Amir in the opening overs when Warner was on two. Warner played and missed an Amir delivery but the paceman cajoled his captain into seeking a caught behind decision and the TV footage showed plenty of daylight between bat and ball.
 Warner’s eventual dismissal did little to halt Australia’s charge, however, with Khawaja racing into the 90s and combining with captain Smith in an unbroken 34-run stand. Warner and Khawaja’s assault threatened to overshadow Azhar’s epic 364-ball knock, a triumph of patience and determination in the face of a string of rain delays and a quality bowling attack.
 Having spent more than nine-and-a-half hours at the crease, clattering 20 boundaries, Azhar tucked away two runs off paceman Mitchell Starc to bring up the 200 and gave a running jump for joy before ripping off his helmet.
 “It certainly is a big achievement,” 31-year-old Azhar, who was given a standing ovation by the crowd, told reporters. “It’s a big, big tour for our team. So I was very focused and really wanted to get there.”
 Warner plundered his maiden century in a Boxing Day Test at the MCG and his 17th Test hundred overall. “It was sort of my bogey venue. Taking momentum from the one-day hundred I scored here, to hit my first Test one took a weight off my shoulders,” Warner said. “We’ve got to assess conditions tomorrow, we’ve got a lot of time left so we have to make the most of it.”
 The left-handed opener survived a big moment on 81 when he was bowled by Riaz with a searing 150kph inswinger after tea, but it was called a no-ball for over-stepping. Riaz finally got Warner 63 runs later when Hot Spot and Real-Time Snickometer found a faint brush on his glove and he was given out on review to a legside catch behind. Warner’s innings contained 17 fours and a six and his 198-run stand with Khawaja came off just 214 balls.
 Azhar earlier overtook the previous highest Pakistan Test score in Australia — Majid Khan’s 158 posted in Melbourne 44 years ago.
 “I came with lots of hope that I could deliver here for my team and I’m very ecstatic about it, and I hope it can help my team get a result in the game,” Azhar said. “I think as the game goes on reverse swing will come into play. The game is very open after the way the Australians came out. We need to come back in the morning and get some wickets and take it from there.”
 Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq called a halt upon the dismissal of Riaz, leaving Azhar unconquered off 364 balls in almost 10 hours at the crease spread over three days. Azhar batted on after going to lunch on 196 but partner Sohail Khan was run out on his lunch score of 65 off 65 balls. The pair plastered the Australian attack in a stand of 118 as the tourists set up a declaration, which came after Riaz skied Hazlewood and was caught and bowled for one. It was Azhar’s 12th Test century in his 56th Test and third against Australia, swelling his aggregate for the calendar year to 1,155 runs at 64.16.
 In October Azhar joined a select club of batsmen with an unbeaten 302 against the West Indies in Dubai and became the first batsman in day-night Test cricket to achieve a triple century. It was also the fourth triple hundred by a Pakistani batsman.
 Amir was out in the first session, caught down leg-side by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade off Mitchell Starc for 29 off 27 balls. Sohail Khan slammed four sixes off spinner Nathan Lyon to reach his best Test score before he was run out when called for a quick single by Azhar.
 With the dismissal of Riaz, Hazlewood claimed his 100th Test wicket in 25 Tests at an average of 25.79.