David Warner finished his final Test match with an almost flawless performance, scoring a half-century and leading Australia to an eight-wicket victory over Pakistan.

Warner bid a fitting farewell to his 112-Test career by leading Australia to within 11 runs of their 130-run goal. However, he was ultimately dismissed for 57 after being caught lbw by Pakistani spinner Sajid Khan.

The SCG witnessed an emotional farewell for the opener, followed by Australia’s victory over the tourists and a 3-0 series sweep in the following over.

Warner expressed his excitement on Fox Sports, saying that it’s like a dream come true.

“You achieve a 3-0 victory, concluding an exceptional 18-month period for the team.”

“After achieving a World Test Championship win, an Ashes draw, and a World Cup victory, to then come and win 3-0 is a remarkable feat.”

Warner had utilized every tactic to commemorate his retirement event, showcasing a variety of reverse-sweeps, powerful cover drives, and even attempting a reverse-scoop.

The 37-year-old scored his runs in 75 balls, with seven boundaries. He set the tone early on by walking down the wicket to face Mir Hamza on only his third ball.

He executed a reverse-sweep twice against Sajid, using an entertaining yet calculated strategy to counteract the roughness of the ball outside the off-stump.

Warner received a stroke of luck on the 16th when he nearly hit the ball onto his stumps. Aamir Jamal also missed a tough opportunity at mid-off when Warner was at 25. Later on, Warner was lucky to avoid being given out lbw when he was at 53.

However, as is typical of Warner, whenever the ball made contact with the center of his bat, it proved to be detrimental for the opposing team.

Warner’s most impressive shot of the day was a powerful four hit through the covers while moving back on his feet against Hamza. He also scored other points by hitting the ball along the ground off Sajid.

His ability to run between the wickets was a highlight of his innings, as it has been throughout his career.

Warner stated that he began with Twenty20 and attempted to replicate that style of play during his current performance.

I attempted to execute my shots, sticking to my preferred style of play, and was successful in securing the win, which is fantastic.

Warner’s strategy eased the impact of the situation for Australia, following Usman Khawaja’s dismissal for a score of zero by Sajid in the opening over.

Following an embrace with childhood friend Warner, Khawaja reviewed the lbw decision but was ultimately ruled out by a close umpire’s call.

Marnus Labuschagne stepped up to partner with Warner and delivered his most impressive performance of the season, remaining unbeaten with a score of 62.

Australia secured a victory on Friday night thanks to Josh Hazlewood’s strong performance, leading to a flurry of runs. However, Pakistan was ultimately dismissed for only 115 runs on the fourth morning.

On the third day, Hazlewood (4-16) took three consecutive wickets in one over to crush Pakistan’s hopes after the tourists gained a 15-run lead in the first innings.

On Saturday morning, Pakistan put up a small fight with Mohammad Rizwan (28) and Aamir (18) scoring 42 runs for the eighth wicket.

However, when Nathan Lyon managed to catch Rizwan at leg slip, Pakistan’s performance rapidly declined.

Pat Cummins, the player of the series, took five wickets in the first innings and added the scalp of Aamir to his total of 19 wickets over three Tests. Lyon also contributed with three wickets, including the final one of Hasan, resulting in Pakistan being all out.

Australia’s recent victory solidifies their position as the top-ranked Test team in the world. They have two Tests remaining against West Indies in January.

Source: theguardian.com