Pakistan snare Warner, Khawaja on rain-hit second day

The day's play came to a premature end due to the occurrence of bad light and rain, which resulted in only 46 overs being bowled.

Usman Khawaja missed his chance to score a half-century by just three runs. This news was reported with the help of images from Getty and Cricket Australia.

Australia's score in their cricket match against Pakistan is currently 116 for 2. Key players include Khawaja with 47 runs and Labuschagne with 23 not out. Pakistan's Salman has taken one wicket for 18 runs, while Jamal has taken one wicket for 26 runs. Australia currently trail Pakistan by 197 runs.

David Warner, who is retiring as an opener, was fortunate to score 34 runs before being dismissed on the second day of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan. The match was evenly balanced despite the shortened play.

The Australian team struggled to make headway against a well-organized Pakistani attack, however, the slow pace of play was caused by poor weather conditions and inadequate light. Marnus Labuschagne managed to score an impressive 23 points while Steven Smith made a smaller contribution with just 6 points. With hopes of better weather tomorrow, the team will have a chance to readjust and continue their efforts during day three.

Despite the fact that the light towers at the SCG were illuminated, the game halted shortly into the second session after Pakistan declined to solely employ their spin bowlers.

The game couldn't restart due to continuous rainfall during the afternoon, causing trouble for the traditional New Year's Test in Sydney. However, the prediction indicates that the weather will improve and stay mostly clear for the rest of the match.

Usman Khawaja, who was the opener, got out at an innings of 47 runs, that came from playing with patience for 143 deliveries, to the fast bowler Aamer Jamal. This was the only wicket that fell in the second session of the match. The Australian team had a slow score rate, with just 2.46 runs per over, as they were struggling to score against the precise and effective attack from the Pakistani team.

Everyone's attention was focused on Warner as he played his 112th and final Test. On day one, the Pakistani team honored him with a guard of honor. In the final over before stumps, there was a great deal of tension as Warner survived. Starting his innings, he hit a boundary off spinner Sajid Khan on the first ball. Then, he came close to hitting the stumps with the ball, but just managed to avoid it.

On the second day of the match, Warner was greeted with cheers from the crowd as he went to the field and embraced his good pal, Khawaja. People were curious if Warner was going to hit the ball hard, but he seemed to be in it for the long run as he focused on playing cautiously.

Warner managed to hit a stunning cover drive against the skilled bowler Hasan Ali, who was throwing the ball at a slow pace. As Warner boldly approached the crease, he didn't show any respect towards Hasan Ali. However, he faced a close call when he accidentally hit the ball towards an empty third slip and it rolled towards the boundary.

Pakistan's attempt to take early wickets using the new ball has become more challenging due to the absence of key player Shaheen Shah Afridi. He was controversially benched for the upcoming T20I tour of New Zealand due to excessive exertion during the initial two Tests.

Warner appeared to be on track to continue batting until lunchtime, despite having a close brush with being caught out at 20 by Saim Ayub, who was making his debut and missed the opportunity. Unfortunately, his good luck didn't last long. He was unable to make the most of his advantage, as he was unable to return a powerful delivery from offspinner Agha Salman, who made an impressive catch at slip with Babar Azam's assistance.

The audience expressed disappointment as Warner removed his gloves and scolded himself before walking away to a round of applause and cheers.

During a tedious session, only one wicket was taken. Despite the gloomy weather conditions, the playing surface was even more challenging for batters compared to the previous day, with Salman's unpredictable bounces being particularly noteworthy.

In contrast to the fast-paced and chaotic first day, where Pakistan scored at four runs per over but kept losing wickets, Australia played it safe and batted conservatively.

After lunch, there was worry for Pakistan when Hasan left the field limping due to a hurt ankle. Nevertheless, he came back shortly thereafter.

Salman kept menacing and posed a significant risk near the wicket to Khawaja, who is a left-handed batsman, as he aimed for the uneven areas.

Labuschagne, hoping to bounce back from a less successful 2023 where he had an average of 35 in Test cricket, had a promising beginning. He played the ball skillfully through his preferred on-side, but later on struggled due to precise bowling.

Khawaja showed impressive defense on a field that he has consistently excelled on, with an average of over 100 from seven past Tests, including four centuries. While he did manage to effectively use footwork to aggressively face Sajid in the initial session, Khawaja settled in to focus on nearing his fifty with an unwavering perseverance.

The match was progressing at a sluggish pace until Khawaja unexpectedly hit a short ball towards the leg-side from Jamal. Initially, the umpire ruled him not out, but wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan was quick to request a review, which turned out to be successful as the video confirmed that Khawaja had touched the ball with his glove.

Jamal consistently bowled at speeds close to 140 kmh and tried a short-ball strategy against Smith. However, Smith responded by hitting a boundary on only his second delivery, pulling the ball to the boundary on the leg-side. The ball flew past numerous fielders, but Smith still managed to score.

However, the fascinating competition was delayed as the game was tied.

Tristan Lavalette works as a reporter in Perth.