Australia thrash Pakistan in first Test: Key takeaways
Australia demolished Pakistan in the opening Test in Perth to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match affair. The visitors never really looked in the hunt as they were on the back foot for the major part of the duel. Meanwhile, it was a collective show from the Aussies with contributions coming from several players. Here are the key takeaways from Australia's 360-run win.
How did the game pan out?
Opting to bat first, Australia posted 487 as David Warner scored 164. Mitchell Marsh made 90. Pakistan could only manage 271 in reply as Imam-ul-Haq made 62. Nathan Lyon dismissed three batters. Usman Khawaja (90*) and Marsh (63*) helped Australia declare their second innings at 233/5. Chasing 450, Pakistan were folded for 89. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood took three wickets apiece.
Warner's golden run against Pakistan continues
Warner, who is playing his farewell series, set the tone for Australia's win, scoring 164. He went after the bowlers from the outset and scored runs all over the park. This was his sixth Test ton against Pakistan as he raced past 1,000 Test runs against them at home. Warner could only manage 285 runs at 28.50 in his preceding Test assignment, The Ashes.
Khawaja has most runs since January 2022
Warner's opening partner Khawaja made 41 in Australia's first innings and followed it up with an unbeaten 90. Unlike Warner or Marsh, the southpaw was not aggressive as his strike rate in both innings was below 50. However, his impact was stupendous. His tally of 2,248 Test runs at 60.75 since January 2022 is the most for any player.
Mitchell Marsh named POTM
Marsh, who was selected ahead of Cameron Green, justified his selection with twin fifties, 90 and 63*. His strike rate in both innings was over 80 as Pakistan bowlers went into the shell even further. Furthermore, the all-rounder picked the key wicket of Babar Azam in Pakistan's first innings. He, hence, walked away with the Player-of-the-Match award.
Shaheen Afridi's poor returns hurt Pakistan
Shaheen Afridi was the only specialist Pakistani bowler to have previously played a Test match on Australian soil. However, the left-arm speedster looked far away from his best as he claimed just one wicket apiece in both outings. Interestingly, he was constantly bowling around the 135 KPH mark, indicating that he might have been struggling with fitness.
Decent debuts for Shehzad and Jamal
Pakistan pacer Aamer Jamal showed great heart in Australia's first innings as he finished with 6/111 on debut. This includes key wickets of Warner and Travis Head. Meanwhile, Khurram Shahzad, another debutant pacer, was lethal with the new ball in Australia's second innings as he dismissed Warner (0) and Marnus Labuschagne (2) cheaply. He later dismissed Steve Smith (45).
Poor show from Pakistan batters
While Imam-ul-Haq made 62 in Pakistan's first innings, no other batter from the side could breach the 45-run mark. The likes of Abdullah Shafique (42), Shan Masood (30), Babar Azam (21), and Saud Shakeel (28) threw away their starts in Pakistan's first innings. Meanwhile, no Pakistan batter could manage even 15 runs in their second outing. The visitors need to focus in this department.
Collective show from the Aussie bowlers
There was no such stand-out Aussie bowler in the game with contributions coming from several players. Starc and Nathan Lyon scalped five wickets apiece in the game. While Hazlewood claimed four wickets, skipper Pat Cummins had three scalps. This highlights that Pakistan batters were never allowed to breathe easily. Imam and Shafique's 74-run opening stand was Pakistan's sole half-century partnership in the game.
