Pakistan win toss and bat in 3rd Test against Australia
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP)— Pakistan captain Shan Masood won the toss and chose to bat under sunny skies in the third Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
It will be the 112th Test match at the venerable SCG and also the 112th and final Test for Australia opening batsman David Warner.
“Hopefully, we can put in a good first innings score and then see how it plays,” Masood said at the toss.
After months of speculation about his place in the team, Warner will get the send-off he desired in his home city.
Warner, 37, goes into his final Test having plundered 8,695 runs at an average of 44.58, with 26 centuries and 36 half-centuries.
“Looks like a good wicket, the sun’s out today, but that’s fine,” said Australia captain Pat Cummins, who said he would have also batted if he had won the toss.
“It’s rare that we play the same team three games in a row, but everyone’s in a good space after such a short turnaround.
“David loves batting at the SCG and I’m sure the crowd is going to be right behind him, and hopefully we can make it special for him.”
Pakistan made two changes. There is a Test debut for Saim Ayub, who will open the innings replacing Imam-Ul-Haq while the leader of the pace attack Shaheen Shah Afridi has been rested making way for off-spinner Sajid Khan.
“We are very excited about Saim Ayub, we feel he is one batsman that is going to set the tone for Pakistan in terms of batting going ahead, so we are very excited about him coming against a good bowling attack,” said Masood.
Australia have clinched the three-match series with a tense 79-run win in the second Test in Melbourne over Christmas.
The Sydney Test has a history of being rain-affected, with 26 washed-out days, the most of the Australian Test venues. But there is only a medium chance of showers this week.
Over the past five Sydney Tests, spinners have taken 54 wickets at an average of 44.02.
Teams
Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Sajid Khan, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal
Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG), Joel Wilson (WIS)
TV umpire: Michael Gough (ENG)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
