David Warner smashes 23-ball 50 as Australia close on victory over Pakistan

David Warner smashed the second fastest half century in Test history to help fire Australia to the verge of a 3-0 series whitewash of Pakistan in Sydney.

Pakistan were 55-1 at close of play on the rain-disrupted fourth day of the third Test, still 410 runs short of their unlikely victory target of 465.

Warner needed just 23 balls to score his half century - two more than the record set by Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq against the Australians in Abu Dhabi in 2014 - to help the hosts to rattle up 241-2 before declaring after tea.

Steve Smith (59), Usman Khawaja (79 not out) and Peter Handscomb (40no) also plundered runs after Warner was dismissed for a swashbuckling 55 off 27 deliveries.

Earlier, after the opening session was washed out for the second day in a row, Younus Khan completed an imperious 175 not out before running out of partners as Pakistan were dismissed for 315, still 223 behind Australia's first innings 538-8.

Australia started the day with the bad news that they had lost opener Matt Renshaw for the rest of the match because of a concussion after he was hit on the helmet while fielding on Thursday.

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Khawaja opened in his place but spent his first 40 minutes as a virtual spectator as Warner, who on Tuesday became the first batsman to score a century in the opening session of a Test in Australia, again laid waste to the Pakistan bowlers.

In one stunning over, the left-hander smashed spinner Yasir Shah for two sixes and two fours from the first four deliveries before adding a single off the fifth.

Wahab Riaz finally removed his off bail but the middle order came to the party and rubbed salt in the wounds.

Pakistan had resumed on 271-8 after the rain delay and thwarted the Australians for more than an hour until Yasir (10) and Imran Khan (0) departed within three balls of each other.

Paceman Josh Hazlewood took both wickets to finish with figures of 4-55.

Debutant Sharjeel Khan scored 40 of Pakistan's 55 runs before chipping to midwicket off Nathan Lyon, but the in-form Azhar Ali is still there on 11no.