AUS vs PAK, 1st Test: Australia in management on day 1 as Warner ton wears down Pakistan

Opener David Warner brushed apart any doubts about his Test match pedigree on Thursday with a brutal 164-run assault on Pakistan’s bowlers as Australia glided to 346-5 after 84 overs at stumps on day one of many sequence opener in Perth.

The 37-year-old, who intends to retire from Tests after the third and last recreation in Sydney, mixed with Usman Khawaja (41) in a 126-run opening stand to get the hosts off to a robust begin after successful the toss.

A pleasant uppercut for 4 within the forty third over noticed Warner deliver up a breezy 125-ball hundred, his twenty sixth in Tests, prompting a trademark celebratory leap and a blown kiss in direction of the media field.

“It’s my job to come out here and score runs, that was from the get-go to put pressure on the Pakistani bowlers,” Warner, who had averaged solely 32 in Tests for the reason that begin of 2020, informed Fox Cricket.

“There’s going to be criticism but you’ve got to take that. There’s no better way to silence them (than) by putting runs on the board.”

The World Test Champions received off to a flyer, with spearhead fast Shaheen Afridi’s 14-run opening over foreshadowing a punishing session for the guests.

Khawaja, donning a black armband after International Cricket Council guidelines prohibited him from carrying footwear exhibiting messages of solidarity with Gaza Palestinians, was first to fall after lunch, caught behind by Sarfaraz Ahmed off Afridi (1-75).

Departing quickly after was Marnus Labuschagne (16), trapped lbw by medium-pacer Faheem Ashraf (1-65), main Warner to dial again his attacking method, highlighted by an outrageous lap shot over wonderful leg for six.

Warner rode his luck to outlive a dropped catch and a mis-stumping to spinner Agha Salman, cashing in on something in his zone to nail 16 boundaries and 4 sixes earlier than miscuing debutant fast Aamer Jamal (2-63) to backward sq. within the seventy fifth over.

The New South Welshman is now Australia’s fifth-highest run scorer in Tests with 8651, having overtaken previous greats Matthew Hayden (8625) and Michael Clarke (8643) through the 211-ball vigil.

Pakistan will take coronary heart from their disciplined post-lunch bowling efficiency and the potential of limiting Australia to beneath 400 on day two when Mitchell Marsh (15 not out) and Alex Carey (14 not out) resume the innings.