Australia captain Pat Cummins took a five-wicket haul for the third successive innings but Pakistan's lower order refused to fold in the face of the confidence-charged home attack after their top order had failed at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Mohammad Rizwan hit 88 in a sixth-wicket partnership of 94 with Agha Salman (53) before an inspired Aamir Jamal put together a stand of 86 with Mir Hamza for the final wicket.
All-rounder Jamal, playing his maiden test series, kept Warner and the crowd waiting for nearly two hours with his superb 82 from 97 deliveries in the unequal partnership with Hamza, who finished on seven not out.
Warner would not be denied his moment, however, and a crowd of 34,000 rose as one in the late afternoon gloom when he came out to open the batting in his 112th test with his childhood friend Usman Khawaja.
Having discarded the new baggy green cap he was given after his went missing in transit from Melbourne for a helmet, Warner shared a hug with Khawaja on the boundary rope before getting down to work.
Off-spinner Sajid Khan had the honour of bowling the single over left in the day and Warner punched his first delivery to the boundary for four.
He took two more runs from the third ball and was nearly dismissed when he lost sight of the fifth but Australia will resume the innings on six without loss on Thursday.
"History would suggest he's always been able to find stuff when he needs to," Mitchell Marsh said of Warner.
"One of our key themes for the week is to hopefully send him out with a win, but most importantly for him to enjoy his last five days as a test cricketer."
MISERABLE START
It had appeared likely that Warner would get his ovation much earlier in the day when Pakistan, already 2-0 down in the series after losses in Perth and Melbourne, made a miserable start to their innings after winning the toss.
Openers Abdullah Shafique and debutant Saim Ayub departed for ducks inside the first eight deliveries as both Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood struck with their second balls of the day.
The irrepressible Cummins (5-61) soon got in on the act to remove dangerman Babar Azam for 26 and Saud Shakeel for five to leave the tourists floundering on 47-4.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood again batted with confidence but was fortunate to avoid an exit on 32 when Mitchell Marsh over-stepped the mark.
The Australia all-rounder finally got his man for 35 and it was left to wicketkeeper Rizwan and Salman to show the Pakistan top order how to bat in Australian conditions and rescue their team from 96-5.
As is so often the case, Cummins came back on and almost immediately separated them when Rizwan looped a rising delivery straight to Hazlewood on the boundary.
Sajid had made 15 when he became Cummins's fourth victim courtesy of a Nathan Lyon catch and when Salman departed for 53 with another ill-judged shot, the writing was on the wall for Pakistan.
Hasan Ali also holed out in the deep to give Cummins a 12th five-wicket haul in tests to add to those he claimed in both innings in the Boxing Day clash in Melbourne.
