Star Australia batter David Warner received ‘Guard of Honour’ from Pakistan players on Wednesday as he came out to bat on the first day of the third and final Test match of the bilateral series in Sydney. The left-hand opener is playing his farewell test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which is his home turf.
The southpaw so far has scored a total of 8,695 runs at an average of 44.58 in 111 Test matches which includes 26 centuries. His highest score of an unbeaten 335 runs came against Pakistan in 2019. In the ongoing Test series, Warner has so far scored 208 runs in the two matches at an average of 52. He is the second-highest scorer in the series after Mitchell Marsh, who has scored 290 runs at an average of 96.67 in the two matches.
Pakistan skipper Shan Masood won the toss in the Sydney Test and opted to bat first.
Pakistan were all out for 313 runs in the first innings. Mohammad Rizwan was the highest scorer and his 88 runs came off 103 balls which included 10 fours and two sixes. All-rounder Aamer Jamal scored crucial 82 runs from 97 balls and his inning that comprised nine fours and four sixes.
The pick of the bowlers for Australia was their skipper Pat Cummins who snapped five wickets in his spell off 18 overs while conceding 61 runs. Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc grabbed two wickets in his 16 overs while conceding 75 runs. Josh Hazelwood, Nathan Lyon, and Mitchell Marsh bagged a wicket each.
Australia batted for one over on the first day with Warner and Usman Khawaja opening the innings. Warner, in his farewell test, scored off the first ball he faced and slammed it for a four of the bowling of off-spinner Sajid Khan. Australia were six without loss of wicket at the end of the first day’s play.
