Warner set for Sydney farewell as Aus unchanged for 3rd Test

David Warner has been given the hometown farewell from test cricket he craved after the opening batsman was named in an unchanged Australia line-up for the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sydney next week.

Warner said in June he wanted to call time on his 12-year Test career at the Sydney Cricket Ground and, with the Australians holding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, the 37-year-old has been granted his wish.

"The National Selection Panel have retained the same squad from Melbourne to Sydney as we look to clean sweep the test series," chief selector George Bailey said.

"We look forward to celebrating David Warner's final Test match and his incredible career at his home ground."

Sydneysider Warner went into the current series with question marks over his form due to a lack of Test runs, but a rapid fire 164 in the first innings of the opening Test in Perth erased any doubts over his position in the team.

Australia won that Test by 360 runs before Pat Cummins put on a man-of-the-match performance to seal the second Test in Melbourne last week, the captain taking 10 wickets as Pakistan lost by 79 runs in four days.

The series win was the fourth in a row at home for the Australians, who have won 10 Tests out of 12 since Cummins took over as captain ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes series.

Pakistan will go into the meeting at the Sydney Cricket Ground looking for their first Test win in Australia for nearly three decades.

Meanwhile, Pakistan are expected to field the 21-year-old uncapped opener Saim Ayub in the third and final Test against Australia at Sydney, beginning on January 3.

After the dismal form of experienced opener Imam ul Haq whose slow batting has come under criticism, the word is that the team management has finally decided to take a chance with Ayub.

The young southpaw has played eight T20Is this year and is widely regarded as a specialist in this format with just 14 First-Class games under his belt.

But with the Pakistan batting struggling in the first two Tests which ended inside four days the team management is ready to take a chance with Ayub.

The youngster from Karachi made his First-Class debut last year but has impressed everyone with his range of strokes and positive attitude.

Pakistan is also anxiously waiting on the fitness of mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed who missed the first two Tests due to a side injury.

Indications are that if Abrar is not fit in time for the Sydney Test, Pakistan will give a chance to off-spinner Sajid Khan who was called up as a reinforcement after the injury to Abrar.

Ayub and Abrar/Sajid will replace Imam and pacer Hasan Ali in the playing eleven.

Australia lead the three-match series 2-0, and Pakistan have lost 16 successive Tests in Australia.

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