AUS VS PAK 3RD TEST

Right then, Pat Cummins now goes on to collect the Benaud-Quadir Trophy from the hands of Daphne Benaud, the spouse of the late great Richie Benaud and then the whole team joins him on the podium for the celebrations and they pose for a team photo as well. Pakistan's tour to Australia has come to an end on a bitter note but it was a series that was fought with great spirit and camaraderie. In the end, the WTC champions reigned supreme as the longest format of the game bid adieu to a modern great. That is it from this series but both teams have another series coming up as Pakistan will now go down south to Australia's Trans-Tasmanian rivals New Zealand with a five-match T20I series starting on 12th January. As for Australia, they will gear up for a two-match Test series against West Indies starting on the 17th of January. You can simply switch tabs and check all the upcoming fixtures. Hope you enjoyed our coverage, until next time. Take care and goodbye!

Pat Cummins, the skipper of Australia has been adjudged the Player of the Series for his sensational bowling performances throughout the three matches. He starts off by saying that it was great to get wickets for the side and then says that everything seems to work well although there were a couple of moments where they felt like they were behind the game but the boys stepped up well and found ways to get back. He then says having Pakistan 4 down on the first day was crucial which set the game up after which the pitch sort of two paced a bit but the boys did well at crucial points. He then says it's important to put pressure on the bowlers and not get caught up on the defense which David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne did exceptionally well. He then talks about the last over from Josh Hazlewood and says it was extraordinary in front of such a big crowd. He also talks about Mitchell Marsh and says it was a huge series for him and he has yet again proved how good he is with an all-round performance on a tricky wicket. He concludes that it will be hard to replace David Warner and how he has been a key player for the past decade or so.

Shan Masood, the captain of Pakistan is down for a chat now. Shan says that they are learning things the hard way. They dropped catches which is criminal, made silly mistakes and couldn't capitalize on the openings they created. Says that the thinking was to have the spinner pick up a wicket. Adds that they wanted anything more than 200 as the target as the pitch was a bit identical to what it is in the subcontinental conditions. With 130 on the board, he says that it was not too much to defend. Adds that there are a few positives as well but in the end the results matter which didn't go their way in all the matches. He then appreciates Mohammad Rizwan that he was the only player who stood up and got more than 200 runs. Says that they need to grab the opportunities and convert three-fers into fifers. Says that their next match is about 10 months away so it's a good time to prepare and come back strongly. Adds that they want to keep playing positive cricket. And at last, he gives a token of appreciation to David Warner with a jersey of Babar Azam signed by all the current Pakistani players.

Aamer Jamal has been adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliant 82 in the first innings and a six-wicket haul. Jamal says he waited for too long to be here at this stage. He starts off by congratulating Australia for the win and mentions they were good in all the 3 departments of the game. He then says the feelings are overwhelming and over the moon about his performance in this series. He further adds that he sticks to the basics and that is what gave him success. He also says that he loved every moment at SCG and knew Australia would come hard at him but he kept focusing well. He concludes that he doesn't mind not being given the new ball with the kind of pace bowlers in the squad.

The Presentation cremony...

The man of the moment, a great warrior of the game, also known as 'The Bull',' David Warner is down for a chat. Warner says that it's pretty much a dream come true to win by 3-0. Adds that the guys have worked immensely hard and have worked tirelessly for this series and that hard work has generated the results for them. Says he woke up just like any other morning and headed to the cafe nearby with his little one and just came to the match. He says that he feels happy and extremely proud of himself and feels content to end his career on a high note and most importantly, in front of his home crowd. Says it's been a long journey and a good one. Adds that without the family's support, this wouldn't have been possible and thanks his parents for a fantastic upbringing. He then thanks his wife for always supporting him throughout his ups and downs. He thinks he will be too emotional that he won't be part of the West Indies series as he was able to do what he could do and will miss opening the batting for Australia. Says that time goes by and there's an end to everything. He further adds that he wants himself to be remembered as an exciting and hard-working human being who put smiles on people's face with the way he played. Gets emotional in conclusion and thanks the crowd again. He gets a huge applaud again from the crowd.

Day 4 of the final Test match produced some great action and emotional drama. First up, Mohammad Rizwan and Aamer Jamal put on a 42-run stand to irritate the Aussies a bit early in the day but once Lyon got rid of Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan soon enough crumbled and set a target of 130 runs for Australia. David Warner walked out with his good mate Usman Khawaja whom he has known since the age of 6 but unfortunately, Khawaja couldn't stick alongside him and was dismissed in the very first over. After that, it was an onslaught by Warner and Marnus Labuschagne with the latter looking really charged up. Both brought up half-centuries but Warner simply couldn't hold on till the end and fell with just 11 runs needed for the win. Labuschagne hit the winning runs and it was a memorable final game for Warner and his family, friends, and especially the crowd.

Talking about the match itself, it really could have gone either way at the end of the first two innings but Australia as they generally do, found their best cricket when it mattered most. Pakistan put on a resolute 313 on the board in the first innings after being down and out early on thanks to a couple of riveting knocks by Mohammad Rizwan and Aamer Jamal and for Australia, ​​​​Pat Cummins picked up a third straight five-wicket haul. Australia seemed to be on course of taking a first-innings lead at 289/5 but they were bundled out for 299 and handed the opposition a slender lead with Aamer Jamal yet again proving to be the man for Pakistan, this time with a six-wicket haul. Pakistan's second innings started pretty similar to their first one as they lost two early wickets but then debutant Saim Ayub and Babar Azam put on a steady stand to get them back on track. However, it was Nathan Lyon who broke that stand and all of a sudden, there was a collapse. Josh Hazlewood ripped through the middle order and Pakistan ended Day 3 with 68/7 with a small lead of 82 runs.

The New Year's Test which was the Pink Test match at the SCG served as the perfect occasion to send off their hometown hero David Warner but with all the narrative around Warner and the Jane McGrath Foundation, Australia put on yet another solid performance. What a fairytale ending to David Warner's illustrious Test career and he finishes as the top-scoring opening batter for Australia in Test cricket, which given the players Australia has produced throughout the years, is a staggering achievement in itself. Coming to the game though, Australia have once again overpowered a hapless Pakistani side who simply cannot hold onto chances and take advantage of a positive situation and the hosts have swept them away 3-0. Warner walks back on the field with his teammates behind him and greets the opposition players and the umpires as the crowd keeps on cheering for him.

And that's it! Australia win! Jamal bowls a hard-length delivery outside off, Marnus Labuschagne opens his bat's face and guides it to the left of covers for a single. Australia beat Pakistan by eight wickets and take the series whitewashing Pakistan by 3-0.

Nails a yorker this time on the stumps with a bit of inward movement, Marnus Labuschagne digs it out to mid off by bringing his bat down in time.

EDGED AND FOUR! And the scores are level now! Aamer Jamal bangs in short outside off which further shoots after pitching, Marnus Labuschagne looks to defend it on the up but gets deceived by the extra bounce off the back foot and gets a thick outside edge of his blade. The ball flies past the gully fielder for a boundary.

Hits the deck hard around the off stump line, Marnus Labuschagne stays in the crease and defends it solidly back to the bowler.

Sprays on the pads and on a back of a length, Marnus Labuschagne clips it to fine leg for a couple of runs.

FOUR! What a way to begin for Steven Smith. A tossed-up delivery, just outside off, Steven Smith presses forward and leans onto the drive past cover for a boundary. Only 7 runs are needed now for Australia.

Steven Smith walks out to bat next.

OUT! LBW OUT! Sajid Khan finally gets his man and will go down as the last bowler to dismiss David Warner in Test cricket. This is a length delivery down around middle and comes in with the angle. David Warner looks to defend it on the front foot and gets beaten on the inside edge and the ball wears on his back leg. Another loud appeal is turned down by the umpire Michael Gough. The review is taken and the UltraEdge displays no bat is involved on it. The ball is pitching outside off and the impact is in line. The ball is hitting the stumps as the Ball Tracker confirms. The on-field decision is reversed and that's it for David Warner who walks back to a huge round of applause and gets a pat on the back from the opposition players. Warner hugs the incoming batter Steven Smith and a lucky boy in the crowd gets Warner's gloves and helmet, surreal atmosphere.