Australia opener David Warner is still likely to have a chance to bat in the fourth innings of the third Test, which is being played at his home ground in Sydney. Pakistan were dismissed for 313 in the first innings
SYDNEY: Australia opener David Warner was dismissed for 34 runs in his farewell cricket Test against Pakistan as rained played spoilsport on Day 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.
Playing in his 112th and last Test, Warner was caught at first slip by Babar Azam off Agha Salman’s bowling as Australia went to lunch on Day 2 at 78-1 in reply to Pakistan’s 313.
Warner will still likely have a chance to bat in the fourth innings of the match. He had threatened to go on with a big score on his home ground after surviving a chance earlier when dropped at slip by Saim Ayub on 20.
Resuming on six following a nervous one-over stay late on Day 1, Warner produced one of the shots of the morning when he square-drove Hasan Ali for four. He steered another ball from Hasan between slips and gully to the boundary, while an edge off Aamir Jamal also went for four.
But on 34, Warner’s time at the crease came to an end. Facing a ball from Salman that gripped and bounced, Warner was squared up on the crease and outside-edged the ball to Babar at first slip.
Warner walked from the field and quickly glanced back to view a replay on the stadium screen as he received a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 20,000.
At lunch, Usman Khawaja was unbeaten 35 and Marnus Labuschagne was on three.
On Wednesday after Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat, Australia captain Pat Cummins took 5-61 for his third consecutive five-wicket haul. Pakistan’s top order was again exposed before a lower-order rally helped the tourists to its 300-plus total.
Pakistan was in danger of being dismissed cheaply at 96-5 but an enterprising counterattack led by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan with a brisk 88, followed by a half-century from Agha Salmon and a maiden test half-century by Aamer Jamal helped Pakistan recover to a respectable total.
The lead-up to the match has been almost exclusively about Warner’s last test for Australia. Flanked by his three daughters, he led the home team out on to the SCG before the match.
Australia won the first two Tests in Perth and Melbourne to clinch the three-match series.
