"Pakistan Team's Farewell Gift to Warner; Cummins Says Finding an Alternative Will Be Challenging"

 

The destiny of the Sydney Test seemed to be sealed yesterday. As Pakistan lost 7 wickets to Josh Hazlewood in the late afternoon, it became apparent that Shan Masood's side wouldn't be setting a substantial target for Australia. Moreover, the assumption loomed that today would mark the concluding day of David Warner's illustrious Test career. And so, it transpired. Australia successfully chased down the 130-run target set by Pakistan in the second session of the fourth day, securing victory with 8 wickets intact. Warner, bidding farewell to Test cricket, crafted a memorable inning with a natural display of batting, contributing 57 runs to his farewell Test. In honor of the local hero's farewell, spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) were granted access to the field post-match. The award ceremony unfolded in their presence. Despite Masood, the captain of the defeated team, echoing the same sentiments as in Melbourne's loss in Sydney, the spotlight of the match and series outcome dimmed in comparison to Pakistan's parting gesture to Warner.

As the award ceremony drew to a close, Masood stated, 'As a parting gift to Warner, we would like to give him a token of appreciation.' Inviting Warner to the stage, Masood presented him with a Pakistan team jersey. He mentioned, 'This is Babar Azam's jersey, which bears the signatures of all the current members of the Pakistan Test team.' During this moment, the Pakistan captain extended his best wishes to Warner for his life beyond retirement. The heartfelt exchange added a touching note to the culmination of Warner's extraordinary Test journey