The Australian cricket team have retained the same 13-member squad for the upcoming third and final Test against Pakistan, scheduled to take place from January 3 at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). This match holds special significance as it marks the farewell Test for David Warner, a celebrated opener in Australian cricket history, on his home ground.
Following victories in the first test in Perth and the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, Australia have secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. George Bailey, the Chief Selector, expressed the team's determination to achieve a clean sweep against Pakistan, highlighting the significance of Warner's farewell in the upcoming match. “The NSP have retained the same squad from Melbourne to Sydney as we look to clean sweep the Test series. We look forward to celebrating David Warner’s final Test match and his incredible career at his home ground,” Bailey said, as quoted by cricket.com.au.
Australia's exceptional performance in the series has been notable, clinching the first Test by a commanding 360 runs and securing victory by 79 runs in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Meanwhile, Pakistan have faced challenges in the series, enduring a 16-match losing streak in Australia. Despite displaying glimpses of promise in the MCG Test, Pakistan struggled to maintain consistent pressure as Australia repeatedly rallied when under pressure.
After the defeat, Pakistan's team Director Mohammad Hafeez attributed the loss partly to inconsistent umpiring decisions and technology. Hafeez cited the controversial dismissal of Mohammad Rizwan in the second innings as an example, where contentious decisions affected the outcome of the match. “We made some mistakes as a team, we will take that, we will address those things, but at the same time I believe inconsistent umpiring and technology curse (has) really given us the result which should have been different,” said Hafeez in the post-match press conference.
Australia's Squad for the Third Test: 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 are yet to finalise their playing XI for the third Test at the SCG, although it's anticipated that they might stick to a similar lineup that showed improvement in the second Test after making changes post the first Test defeat.
Predicted Pakistan XI vs Australia: Abdullah Shafique, Imam ul-Haq, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza