Warner crushes South Africa with majestic 200 in milestone test

MELBOURNE :An emotional and exhausted David Warner retired hurt after a majestic 200 as Australia dominated on day two of the second test on Tuesday against South Africa, who wilted under a scorching Melbourne sun.

Australia were 386 for three at stumps, in reply to the Proteas' first innings 189 - a lead of 197 runs and with the three-match series at their mercy after a six-wicket win in the Brisbane opener.

Short of runs and without a century in nearly three years, a tiring Warner slogged his way to his third double-hundred from 254 balls before succumbing to cramp and limping off the Melbourne Cricket Ground field with the aid of a trainer.

He notched his 25th hundred during the innings and became the eighth Australian to reach 8,000 test runs, ending a debate about his place in the side following his lean run in the home summer.

He and Steve Smith put on 239 runs for the third wicket before Smith was caught in the gully for 85 off express paceman Anrich Nortje.

"He just played beautifully," Smith told reporters of Warner. "The more he started to cramp, the more shots he started to play and everything seemed to be coming out of the middle (of the bat)."

Warner was the first of two Australian batters to retire hurt on day two, with all-rounder Cameron Green (six not out) also coming off late after being struck on the index finger by Nortje.

The retirements were small mercies for the Proteas, with Smith the only wicket taken by a bowler after Australia resumed on 45 for one in the morning.

The other wicket was a run out, with number three Marnus Labuschagne falling for 14 before lunch when Warner made an ill-judged dash for an extra run from an overthrow.

Australia's in-form number five Travis Head saw off 11 overs of the