David Warner is at the SCG crease, playing what could be the final knock of his glittering Test career on day two between Australia and Pakistan – and he’s been given a second chance after he was dropped in the slips on 20.
Warner resumed batting on 6 with Usman Khawaja (0), with Australia starting the day 0-6 in reply to Pakistan’s 313 on day one.
But Pakistan started the day poorly, with David Warner dispatching Hasan Ali to the boundary twice in his first three overs amid some very wayward bowling.
“That’s not good,” Michael Vaughan said after one particularly poor ball. “So far he’s not getting it right for the skipper or the team.”
And when the next ball sailed well wide of Warner, Vaughan summed it up neatly: “That’s rubbish.”
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Warner was then handed an early retirement present when he was dropped on 20. In Jamal’s first over of the day, he had Warner edging to Saim Ayub at first slip – only for the 21-year-old debutant to drop an easy chance.
Michael Hussey said on Fox Cricket: “That should be taken nine times out of ten… Pakistan just had to take their chances today, that’s such a let-off for David Warner.”
“That’s as easy as it gets at first slip,” Brett Lee said.
Mark Waugh added later: “It’s an absolute sitter, it’s as regulation as you get.”
Speaking from the ground at the drinks break, Shan Masood said on Fox Cricket: “I think we’ve done some really good work, put the ball in the right areas, created an opportunity which we didn’t grab.
“That’s been the story for us this series. When you bowl well, you create opportunities, you need to grab onto your chances and unfortunately we’ve let go of another one.”
Australia is currently 0-365 with Warner 33* and Khawaja 26*.
Speaking before play, Kerry O’Keeffe warned Pakistan that Australia must be bowled out on day two for them to stand a chance of winning given how much the ball will turn late in the Test.
“If Australia is still batting at stumps, I think they will win the game,” he said on Fox Cricket.
“Pakistan have to bowl Australia out inside the day because they are batting last on this pitch that will be turning big. It’s drier than most SCG pitches I’ve seen in recent times and it’s whitened overnight, so you don’t want to be batting fourth on this.”
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DAY ONE REPORT
Gritty Pakistan hit back from looming disaster to finish with 313 on the back of fighting half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman and Aamer Jamal on the first day of the third Test against Australia on Wednesday.
The tourists, staring down a meagre innings total when reduced to 96 for five after winning the toss, went on the counter-attack to frustrate the Australians late in the day at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Rizwan clubbed 88 off 103 balls, number nine Jamal smashed four sixes in a spirited 82 off 97 and Salman hit 53 off 67 to give the tourists renewed hope after a car-crash start to the innings.
David Warner, playing in his 112th and final Test, had to see off a tense final over before the close and survived a scare when the ball ricocheted just over his stumps off spinner Sajid Khan before finishing with six in Australia’s reply of 6-0.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins captured five for 61 for his third successive five-wicket haul in the series.
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“When I came out to bat I knew the Australians were going to come hard after us, I was well prepared for that, they wanted to get us out as early as possible, so I was going after every ball,” said Jamal, who reached his highest Test score.
“There was no personal milestone for me, because my milestone was just to represent my country and that I achieved. I was trying to get as many runs as I could.”
“Fair play to Aamer Jamal, he batted beautifully. We threw everything at him and I thought he batted really well,” said Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.
“I think it finished a pretty even day. I think it’s going to be a traditional SCG wicket with a lot of fielders in front of the wicket, we’ll take that today.”
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