Warner shows off tricks in SCG farewell innings

Scott Bailey | January 6, 2024

David Warner has pulled out all the tricks to celebrate his retirement party, helping Australia to lunch at 1-91 in pursuit of 130 for victory against Pakistan and a series clean sweep.

Eyeing off a fairytale finish to his 112-Test career, Warner went to the break unbeaten on 52 after a flying start to his final Test innings.

The 37-year-old’s runs came off 61 balls and included seven boundaries, and he regularly used his feet at times playing shots more common in T20s.

Warner set the tone from the third ball he faced on Saturday by walking down the wicket at quick Mir Hamza.

He twice reverse-swept spinner Sajid Khan to the boundary in an entertaining but calculated approach to negating the rough outside off stump.

There was also a touch of the bizarre with Warner missing an attempted reverse-scoop off Hasan Ali.

Warner was granted some luck on 16 when he almost chopped on, while Aamir Jamal dropped a very difficult chance at mid off on 25.

But as is always the case with Warner when the ball came out of the middle of the bat it was imposing for the opposition.

His shot of the day was a crunching four through the covers off the back foot against Hamza, while other boundaries have come down off Sajid.

The left-hander’s running between the wickets was a feature of his innings, as it has been throughout his career.

Warner’s half-century marks the 63rd time he has passed 50 in Tests with a farewell century now off the cards given the runs required.

The veteran’s approach took some of the sting out of the situation for Australia, after Usman Khawaja was trapped lbw for a duck by Sajid in the first over.

After he and childhood friend Warner embraced before walking out on the field, Khawaja reviewed the lbw but was out on a narrow umpire’s call.

That left Marnus Labuschagne to play anchor to Warner, while still offering a few attacking shots of his own against the spin.

The runs came after Australia set up a shot at a 3-0 series whitewash on Saturday morning, bowling out Pakistan for 115.

After Josh Hazlewood (4-16) ran through Pakistan on day three, the tourists offered a brief resistance on Saturday morning.

Mohammad Rizwan (28) and Aamir (18) put on 42 for the eighth wicket, but Pakistan folded quickly once Nathan Lyon had the former caught at leg slip.

Lyon also bowled Hasan to end the innings, finishing with figures of 3-36.