NO BIG HIT FOR WARNER
Curtain closed on opener?
David Warner has walked off the SCG for what could be the final time as a Test batter after he was dismissed for 34 just 20 minutes before lunch on day two against Pakistan.
The veteran opener rode his luck throughout the innings, initially surviving a dangerous over before stumps on day one when a delivery somehow bounced millimetres over the bails. More than 20,000 had already rolled in on Thursday morning to see Warner bat in his 112th and final Test, with the left-hander smashing a drive through the covers to open his account. A mid-afternoon rain delay saw unbeaten Marnus Labuschagne (23) and Steve Smith (6) leave the field with Australia 2-116.
Runs didn’t come freely for Warner, Australia’s most-prolific opener, who edged a couple of boundaries through the cordon before he was given a life on 20 when debutant Saim Ayub put down a simple chance at slip.
“We created an opportunity that we didn’t grab, and that’s been the story for us this series,” Pakistan skipper Shan Masood said.
“When you bowl well, you create opportunities and you need to hold on to your chances. Unfortunately, we’ve let go of another one.”
Warner and great mate Usman Khawaja shared a nice moment when they hugged it out in the middle after they brought up their 50-run partnership, but a change in bowling before lunch brought Warner unstuck and left the crowd in stunned silence.
Having had a few lives, it looked like Warner was set to cash in, but Agha Salman’s introduction into the attack proved Warner’s undoing, as the off-spinner got one to bounce a bit more and catch the shoulder of the bat, with Babar Azam holding on to a simple chance at slip.
“The crowd could not believe it. It was silence,” Adam Gilchrist said in commentary as Warner trudged off to a rousing reception.
“He’ll be bitterly disappointed.”
Warner was visibly furious with himself having done all the hard work to see off the new ball, but the runs had dried up before he was eventually removed for 34 off 68 balls.
Australia was still in a strong position at 1-78 at lunch after Pakistan was bowled out for 313 on day one thanks to some late runs that propelled them to a competitive total.
Fans across the country will hope that Warner gets one more chance to bat on his home deck, with a trademark slashing knock the perfect farewell for a man whose attacking approach has changed the way openers go about their business.
Ayub’s missed catch continued a wretched time for Pakistan in the field, with a number of dropped chances.
Ayub put his head down in anguish after fluffing the simple chance and comes after his two-ball duck in Wednesday’s first innings of his first Test match. It was a subdued opening first hour for the Australians with Warner and Khawaja largely pinned down by the Pakistan bowling attack.