David Warner dedicated his record breaking century to fallen teammate Phillip Hughes after the opener joined Don Bradman and Victor Trumper in one of Test cricket's most exclusive clubs.
Fourteen years to the day Steve Waugh completed a fairytale century off the last ball of play, Warner won his battle against the clock, bringing the SCG crowd to their feet by scoring a ton before lunch.
Before this Test, only four players had scored a century before lunch, all on foreign soil. There are now five after Warner joined Bradman, Trumper, Charles Macartney and Pakistan's Majid Khan in achieving the rare feat. Two of those four have stands named after them at this storied venue.
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Warner needed only 78 balls to peel off his 18th Test century – the fourth fastest ton by an Australian – reaching the milestone three minutes before the first break. That it came at the venue where his close friend Hughes was fatally struck added to the poignancy of the moment.
"Every time I walk out here we've got our little mate walking with us," Warner said. "It's always in the back of my mind when I walk out here that he's with me and I always think he's at the other end with me. Every time I score runs here or a hundred it's always for him."
Last year was not Warner's best in the Test arena, even if he did finish with a bang in Melbourne, but he could not have asked for a better start to 2017.
Pakistan's Khan was the last player to reach triple figures in the first session, doing so in 1976 against a New Zealand attack that featured the great Richard Hadlee.
It's been more than 86 years since an Australian batsman had done it, way back in the 1930 Ashes series when the peerless Bradman made his famous 334 at Leeds. That innings was the highest score by an Australian until Matthew Hayden set a new mark with his 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003.
Unfortunately for Australia, Warner could not kick on after lunch, losing his wicket to Wahab Riaz for 113.
Warner said he was not aware of the select company he had joined until he was told by team doctor Peter Brukner during the break.
"It's an honour to be alongside those names. I had absolutely no idea about that stat," Warner said.
"I knew about hundreds in a session but not that stat. It's rewarding as an individual, it's a team sport but i was happy to get the guys off to a great start."
Warner did not dare to dream of joining history until 25 minutes before lunch when he reached 80. He had fancied his chances against leg-spinner Yasir Shah, but he was prepared to put his ambitions aside once the quicks returned. That changed with eight minutes to go when he encouraged opening partner Matt Renshaw to turn the strike and let him have a crack.
"I walked down to him and he was blocking, leaving, I made sure to tell him if it's there to hit it, if there's a single take the single," Warner said.
"That's when I started to think about it."
Warner had gone 17 innings without a century until he slew his MCG bogy last week but has now posted back-to-back tons.
As well as Warner played, he was given a decent leg-up by some pedestrian bowling. So badly did Pakistan use the new ball, it was as if their bowlers were trying to top the pathetic performance by their bowlers on the final day in Melbourne.
While his rapid scoring rate would not have been out of place in the Big Bash League, Warner played proper cricket shots.
Apart from a close shave on 30, when Warner nearly played on, Misbah-ul-Haq's bowlers had no clue how to contain the explosive left-hander.
Whereas South Africa restricted Warner by bowling at his body so he could not open his arms, Pakistan gave him too much width. As a result, they found themselves regularly fetching the ball from the rope at deep point.
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