Warner's exit, Sydney weather cast pall over SCG Test

David Warner was unable to benefit from the benevolent goodbye gift offered him by Pakistan's slipshod fielders as Sydney's maligned summer weather again emerged as the dominant force in the New Year's Test.

Playing potentially his last hand in his final Test, Warner was granted the chance for a fairytale finish when embarrassingly dropped at slip having scored 20, only to succumb for 34 on the rain-ruined second day where Usman Khawaja top scored with 47.

Warner's disappointment at squandering the opportunity was obvious as he slowly left his hometown arena to a generous ovation from those who envisaged one more swashbuckling hundred.

Australia were 2-116 and trailing Pakistan's first innings by 197 when umpires Richard Illingworth and Michael Gough deemed the murky light that had persisted most of the afternoon had deteriorated to the point where play was no longer feasible, despite the fiercely burning floodlights.

Play was suspended at 2.23pm with 44 overs still to be bowled and more than 25,000 spectators in attendance, only for rain to set in 45 minutes later with play formally called off at just under 4.30pm.

It proved a final disappointment for the fans who had initially gathered in the hope of witnessing a final act of Warner brilliance, then potentially celebrating another Khawaja SCG century before heading home with the prospect of Marnus Labuschagne (23no) and Steve Smith (6no) perhaps producing something special tomorrow.

Khawaja had started the day as an extra in the Warner farewell show but, after his long-time friend turned Test opening partner, fell for 34 shortly before lunch the understudy emerged as the main man.

It was scarcely unfamiliar territory for Khawaja, who boasts a record at the SCG the likes of which only one other player can claim at a specific Test venue.

The 37-year-old, whose career was reborn at his former home venue two summers ago when Travis Head was a late omission due to COVID-19 protocols, went into Australia's first innings having scored 137, 101no (both against England) and 195 no (v South Africa last season) in his past three appearances.

It meant that prior to today, Khawaja's Test return at the SCG showed 785 runs at an average of just over 130 which was the best by any player at an individual Test ground (minimum 10 innings) in the game's almost 150-year history.

Not that his mastery of conditions at a venue where he also averaged more than 57 in 12 Sheffield Shield matches for New South Wales between 2008 and 2012 (when he moved to Queensland) helped him during a tough opening hour today.

While the crowd sweated on every shot played by Warner who found scoring marginally more straightforward, Khawaja took 11 balls to get off the mark and scored just from 39 deliveries before he found his first boundary.

However, that four cam via a sweetly struck lofted sweep against off-spinner Sajid Khan that signalled in shift in momentum for the veteran opener.

With Sajid – the specialist spinner brought into Pakistan's starting XI in the expectation the SCG pitch would take turn – unable to shift the ball off the straight, Khawaja found the timing and surety that had eluded him against the visitors' quicks in the first half-hour.

Twice in the same over from Sajid, he skipped down the pitch and while his first advance yielded nothing more than a stifled lbw shout the second brought an imperious lofted on-drive that bounced just short of the boundary rope at long-on.

Khawaja's capacity to move around the crease and manipulate the length found by Pakistan's spinners enabled him to regularly rotate the strike and it wasn't until the introduction to the attack of yesterday's batting hero Aamir Jamal almost an hour into the day that a chance was created.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, it was comprehensively squandered in the same manner that so many key moments have slipped though the tourists' butter fingers on this tour.

This time it was debutant Saim Ayub, who had already suffered the indignity of a second-ball duck in his maiden Test innings on day one, and the dropped catch at slip off the luckless Aamir might conceivably be the most straightforward of all simple offerings muffed by Pakistan to date.

True to type, the circumstances that led to Saim – who saw the ball take the edge of Warner's bat when the opener was on 20, and watched it intently carry at thigh-height directly into his waiting hands from where it bounced immediately out – were so convoluted as to be almost comical.

Pakistan skipper Shan Masood had explained in great detail on match eve why first slip fielder Abdullah Shafique, who grassed a similarly simple catch off Warner on day one at the MCG, should be retained in the key fielding role given the specialist nature of the task.

Having argued that case, the skipper then reshuffled his cordon to install highly competent duo Salman Ali Agha and Babar Azam at first and second slip respectively.

But at the crucial moment of the Warner opportunity, Salman had left the field and been replaced at first slip by Saim who boasts no known pedigree as a close catcher, while Babar remained in his preferred post at second slip and looked on in dismay as the chance went begging.

When Shan himself fumbled a Khwaja drive at extra cover shortly after, it seemed the wheels were again wobbling loose for Pakistan as Australia's opening pair posted their 10th 50-run stand (in addition to three of 100 or more) from 118 balls faced.

It was the introduction of spin-bowling all-rounder Salman in place of Sajid that brought a breakthrough against the run of play, reviving Pakistan's hopes and dashing those of Australia fans looking to celebrate one more Warner milestone.

The left-hander was surprised by the third delivery sent down by Salman, which drifted in from around the wicket and then gripped and bounced more than anything Sajid had produced to hit near the splice of Warner's bat offered in defence.

The resultant edge looped to the left of slip, where mercifully Babar was in occupation and he was able to clasp the catch as he tumbled to the turf.

Khawaja then took over the role of dominant partner in his union with Queensland teammate Labuschagne and appeared destined to post his fourth consecutive score of 50-plus in as many Test hits at the SCG.

But an hour after lunch, with the pair having added a watchful 38 from 114 balls for the second wicket as heavy clouds rolled across the SCG, Khawaja fell three runs shy of his milestone to the bowler who had appeared the most threatening.

In his desperation to extract something from the moribund surface, Aamir overstepped a couple of times but the short-pitched delivery that whizzed past Khawaja's hip brought an unexpected bonus.

In attempting the pull the ball behind square, Khawaja only managed to make contact with his left glove and although umpire Michael Gough denied the vehement appeal from Pakistan keeper Mohammad Rizwan the verdict was overturned upon review.

The arrival of Smith at the crease with Australia still more than 200 in arrears saw Pakistan immediately adopt a short-ball ploy with catchers positioned either side of the square leg umpire and behind point on the off-side.

However, the lack of pace in the pitch meant Smith found few problems during the 12 minutes he batted before the darkness closed in, and then the rain arrived.

NRMA Insurance Test series v Pakistan

First Test: Australia won by 360 runs

Second Test: Australia won by 79 runs

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (10.30am AEDT)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi