David Warner leads Australia to victory in his final test match, completing a 3-0 sweep over Pak
Sydney, Jan 6: David Warner scored 57 runs to help lead Australia to an eight-wicket victory over Pakistan on Saturday in his final test match, ending a 112-test career as a winner on his home ground.
With Australia needing only 11 runs to claim its third consecutive victory in the three-test series, Warner was out lbw off the bowling of Sajid Khan. He walked off the Sydney Cricket Ground to loud applause as he waved to the crowd.
The only other wicket to fall in Australia's second innings was when opener Usman Khawaja was also adjudged lbw off Khan's bowling for a six-ball duck.
Pakistan scored 313 and 115 and Australia responded with 299 and 130-2. Marnus Labuschagne scored 62 and was at the crease with Steve Smith (4) when the match ended.
Australia quickly took Pakistan's three remaining wickets on Saturday morning to set a 130-run victory target with almost two full days remaining.
After Josh Hazlewood (4-16) ran through Pakistan on Day 3, the visitors offered little resistance before they were all out. Mohammad Rizwan (28) and Aamir Jamal (18) put on 42 for the eighth wicket, but Pakistan folded quickly once Nathan Lyon had Rizwan caught at leg slip.
Lyon also bowled Hasan Ali to end the innings, finishing with figures of 3-36.
Warner had earlier led the team onto the field to start the day, while "Thanks Dave" with his trademark leap also painted on the ground in front of the Members Stand.
Australia won the first test in Perth by 360 runs and the second by 79 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
An applaudable fifty on his final Test outing š
— ICC (@ICC) January 6, 2024
David Warner signs off from the longest format of the game in style š#WTC25 | š #AUSvPAK: https://t.co/9HGJrXtJyq pic.twitter.com/OpK1sbU0Ta
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
China starts new drills in Taiwan Strait against āseparatist forcesā
Beijing (PTI): China on Monday launched massive military drills in the middle areas of the Taiwan Strait as a “punitive and deterrent” action against Taiwan’s separatist forces, days after the US announced a record USD 11.1 billion arms sales to Taipei.
The two drills, in which a host of advanced fighter jets, long-range rockets and naval ships are involved, came amid rising diplomatic tensions with Japan over Taiwan that Beijing claims as its territory.
"The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command is employing fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles in coordination with long-range rocket fires to conduct drills in the waters and airspace in the middle areas of the Taiwan Strait on Monday," a Chinese military announcement said.
China has been conducting high-intensity military exercises around Taiwan since 2022, following then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei.
ALSO READ: Russia says 90 Ukrainian drones tried to attack Putin's country residence
This is the sixth such drill. These exercises are widely interpreted as rehearsals for military action against the self-governing island which Beijing claims as part of its mainland.
The drills are a punitive and deterrent action against separatist forces who seek “Taiwan independence” through military build-up, and a necessary move to safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a media briefing here.
Nothing will deter China from defending national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. Anyone who crosses the line or makes provocations on the question will be met with China’s firm response. All attempts to hold back China’s reunification will invariably fail, he said.
Asked whether the drills were in retaliation to the US record arms sales to Taiwan, Lin said, “Anyone who crosses the line or makes provocations on the question will be met with China’s firm response”.
Taiwan condemned China's military drills, saying Beijing is using military intimidation to threaten neighbouring countries.
In its reaction to the drills Taiwan's Defence Ministry said in a post on X that rapid response exercises were underway, with forces on high alert to defend the island
In a separate statement, the ministry said it had deployed appropriate forces in response, conducting combat readiness drills.
Spokesperson for the Taiwanese president's office, Karen Kuo was quoted as saying that the drills undermined the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region and openly challenged international law and order.
A PLA statement said the drills focussed on striking mobile ground targets and intended to test the troops' capabilities of precision strikes on key targets.
The drills in which fighters, bombers, long range rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles will be used comes in the backdrop of the US approval of a record USD 11.1 billion arms package to Taipei which China sharply criticised and diplomatic tensions with Japan over Taiwan.
US President Donald Trump approved an arms package worth USD 11.1 billion for Taiwan, which, if cleared by the US Congress, would mark Washington's largest-ever arms sale to the island.
The arms sale aids Taiwan's independence forces' plans to turn the island into a powder keg, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing here on December 18, reacting to Trump's approval to the arms sale.
"China will take resolute and strong measures to defend its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," he said.
The arms sales to Taiwan comes in the backdrop of rising China-Japan tensions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks in parliament on November 7 that a Taiwan contingency could be a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan that may lead to action from the country's defence forces in support of the US.
Her remarks angered China, which demanded Takaichi to retract her statement.
ALSO READ: Hamas confirms death of Abu Obeida, introduces new military spokesman
China has also criticised Japan's move to develop the easternmost island of Okinawa for the deployment of a mobile surveillance radar unit to monitor Chinese aircraft carriers and airplanes.
The Japanese side kept strengthening targeted military deployment near Taiwan region and even claimed it will deploy mid-range missiles, he said.
This time, it went even further by deploying a radar unit and troops to secretly monitor its neighbour," Guo said.
"Given the erroneous and dangerous remarks made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan, we must question: Is the Japanese side making trouble and provocations at one's doorstep to find a pretext for its military build-up and missions overseas," he said.
