Pat Cummins’ wicket ways roll on but David Warner kept waiting as a tortuous tail unfolds

Captain fantastic Pat Cummins was at it again – another day, another five-wicket haul – but Dave Warner’s day contracted to just the dramatic last six balls.

Australian captain Pat Cummins celebrates the third of his five wickets in Pakistan’s first innings of the Third Test at the SCG on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

Captain fantastic Pat Cummins was at it again – another day, another five-wicket haul – but it wasn’t all the fast bowler’s day.

It certainly wasn’t all Dave Warner’s day, which contracted to just the last six balls – but that was enough to deliver the sort of drama we have come to expect from the opener who will retire at the end of this, his 112th Test match, in front of his home crowd.

And it wasn’t all Pakistan’s day, with most of their top order failing, only to be rescued – and shown up – by some impressive batting from their bowlers.

All in all, it was honours shared on the opening day of the third Test at the SCG on Wednesday.

Dave Warner comes out to bat for the last over of the day. Picture: Getty Images

Cummins made another advance up the list of all-time greats with a dominant performance by an Australian seam attack rated the best in the cricket world. Well almost.

Cummins’ 10 wickets in the first Test at the MCG moved him past Graham McKenzie (246) and Richie Benaud (248) and Wednesday’s haul now has him two behind Jason Gillespie (259).

A seam bowler who seems to consider swing a little too flashy for his blue-collar approach did for Pakistan star Babar Azam (26) with a scorching delivery that moved late and had the former skipper trapped in front at a critical point.

But as good as Cummins & Co were in the early going, they let a dominant position slide.

With Pakistan reduced to 5-96 soon after lunch, it seemed inevitable that Warner would bat on the opening day of his final Test – but the wait proved much longer than expected. Pakistan bowlers Aamer Jamal (82) and Mir Hamza (7) put on 86 for the last wicket after wicket keeper Mohammed Rizwan (88) and Agha Salman (53) contributed 94 for the sixth wicket and the visitors somehow scrambled their way to 313 runs.

The sight of Nathan Lyon running off to pad up had everyone convinced a nightwatchman would deny the crowd of 33,000 the chance to see Warner bat, but he eventually walked onto the SCG with pads on and Usman Khawaja in his wake.

Warner walks out onto the field with his daughters prior to the start of play. Picture: Getty Images

The pair hugged before walking onto the field and Warner was greeted by the Pakistan players who had formed a guard of honour to greet him.

He struck a four off the first ball, survived being bowled by a centimetre or less on the fifth, and lived to bat another day.

Warner’s parents, his wife, children and family friends were on hand for the show.

His beloved baggy green, however, is still missing and so he took the field in the morning in the spare the cricket team keeps in the kit for emergencies.

The theft even attracted the attention of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who called for the baggy green’s return.