David Warner celebrates after scoring a century throughout play on the primary day of the primary Check between Australia and Pakistan in Perth, Australia, on December 14, 2023.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
David Warner hit a scintillating century in his farewell Check collection as Australia reached 346 for 5 towards Pakistan’s inexperienced bowlers on the opening day on Thursday of the three-match collection.
Warner’s commanding 164 off 211 balls — his first Check century in a yr — vindicated captain Pat Cummins’ choice to bat first on a tough bouncy pitch.
The 37-year-old Warner, who shall be retiring after the final Check in his Sydney hometown, made Pakistan toil within the first couple of periods earlier than he holed out at deep sq. leg within the final hour. He hit 16 fours and 4 sixes.
Mitchell Marsh was unbeaten on 15 on his residence floor and Alex Carey was 14 not out after reaching the tip of an important first day for Australia.
Pakistan went into the Check match with no specialist spinner and handed debuts to quick bowlers Aamer Jamal (2 for 63) and Khurram Shahzad (1 for 62).
Extra importantly, they twice missed alternatives to dismiss Warner. Shahzad missed an overhead catch at mid-on after Warner accomplished his 26th Check hundred, and Sarfaraz Ahmed fumbled a troublesome stumping likelihood simply earlier than Warner reached 150.
Pakistan had its best interval within the final session when it claimed three wickets. Shahzad had Steven Smith caught behind for 31 off a supply that formed away, and Travis Head on 40 and Warner went whereas going for aggressive pictures towards Jamal.
Warner, enduring a lean patch in Check cricket since his double hundred towards South Africa at Melbourne final yr, was criticised for being given an opportunity within the Perth Check, however the left-hander responded in type.
He and Usman Khawaja, with 41, have been ruthless throughout their century stand within the first session after they romped to 117 for no loss.
Warner accomplished his half-century off simply 41 balls however slowed down after lunch. He reached his sixth Check hundred towards Pakistan off 125 balls with an higher reduce 4 off Jamal and celebrated his century together with his trademark leap.
Khawaja took a backseat to Warner’s aggression earlier than Pakistan spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi broke by means of after bowling 13 of Pakistan’s first 32 overs. Afridi acquired a faint fringe of Khawaja’s exterior edge after lunch.
Marnus Labuschagne, on 16, went for an unsuccessful lbw referral towards seamer Faheem Ashraf. Video recommended the ball would have crashed onto his leg stump.
Earlier, Warner carried a limited-overs mindset into the Check enviornment. He and Khawaja, sporting a black armband, set the tone by scoring 14 within the first over from Afridi.
They handed 50 within the 10th over and Warner raised his half-century within the 15th, from 41 balls, with a slashing boundary towards Faheem Ashraf.
A few overs later, Warner went even additional into one-day mode when he crouched and flipped a supply from exterior off stump means over the fine-leg boundary for his first six of the innings, following 11 boundaries.
Khawaja wasn’t allowed to put on sneakers branded with an “All lives are equal” humanitarian message, so he wore a black armband as an alternative. The Worldwide Cricket Council intervened on Wednesday after Khawaja indicated his sneakers plan to focus on the lack of harmless lives within the Israel-Hamas battle.
The Australians are the world Check champions. Pakistan hasn’t gained a Check match in Australia since 1995, and enjoying its second Check collection this yr.