‘Under 10s’ blunder sets tone for horror day; Warner ‘fights fire with fire’ – Perth Test, Day 1 Talking Points

David Warner’s 26th Test century has put Australia in a superior position on day one of the series opener against Pakistan in Perth.

The veteran opener blasted 164 after Australia won the toss and elected to bat first at Perth Stadium, with the hosts cruising towards 5-346 at stumps.

None of the other Australians reached fifty, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (15*) and wicketkeeper Alex Carey (14*) unbeaten at stumps.

The first Test between Australia and Pakistan will resume on Friday at 1.20pm AEST. Read on for the Day 1 Talking Points!

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‘UNDER-10S’: SKIPPER’S MISDEMEANOUR SETS TONE FOR DISASTROUS DAY

Shan Masood’s captaincy tenure didn’t get off to the ideal start.

On the third ball of the day, Pakistani quick Shaheen Shah Afridi produced a lengthy delivery that Australian opener David Warner fended towards Masood at mid-off.

It should have been a regulation dot ball, but the Pakistan skipper completely misjudged the ball’s trajectory, running past the line of the ball before awkwardly throwing out his left hand.

Groans echoed around the venue as Warner jogged through for an easy single; the sloppy misdemeanour had set the tone for the day, and potentially the series.

To rub salt into the wounds, the following two deliveries found the boundary rope, adding to Afridi’s frustration.

“That can be very frustrating for a bowler, especially early on in a Test match,” Pakistan legend Wasim Akram said on Fox Cricket commentary.

“Third delivery went straight to the skipper, who misjudged it and gave a single away.”

Australian champion Mike Hussey agreed it was far from an ideal start from Masood, but was more concerned by the lack of a response afterwards.

“It’s obviously regrettable and as captain you’d be disappointed with that because … you want to set the standards right from the word go,” Hussey told foxsports.com.au.

“But it happens. And it shouldn’t define the whole day. He’s not the one out there bowling the balls. He’s not the one dropping catches.

“It’s not something that he would have been happy with. But it happens. You can’t make that as an excuse for Australia having a great day.”

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Immediately after the first drinks break, Pakistan’s fielding nightmare worsened when Shafique Abdullah dropped Khawaja on 21.

It was a challenging scenario, with the Pakistani running with the flight of the ball in pursuit of a top edge from the Australian opener. Indeed, he failed to get a hand on the ball, with it instead making contact with his midriff.

But it was there to be taken, with the ball rebounding from his chest for four. Khawaja made it safely to lunch and padded another 20 runs before losing his wicket in the second session.

Then, on the stroke of tea, Khurram Shahzad bottled a chance to send Warner packing for 104. The New South Welshman skipped down the pitch and chipped spinner Salman Ali Agha towards mid-off, but the catch burst through Shahzad’s fingers and bounced away for another boundary.

“That was regulation, on any level of cricket, park cricket, under-10s,” former Australian batter Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket commentary.

“It looked like the first catch he’s ever tried to take.

“You can’t do that. Not against any team, let alone Australia.”

‘PRETTY NERVOUS’: TOOTHLESS PAKISTAN ATTACK FAILS TO FIRE

How Pakistan must long for the days when the “Sultans of Swing” Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were terrorising top-order batters with their menacing pace and movement.

A case could be mounted that retired duo, who were seated in the commentary boxes of Perth Stadium, might still have fared better than the incumbents in the infancy of the Test.

As the spearhead of Pakistan’s attack, much rested on Shaheen Shah Afridi to strike early and unsettle the Australian top order.

But a combination of misfortune, poor fielding and some waywardness from the strike bowler meant that Pakistan were chasing their tail from the opening over of the summer.

The 23-year-old’s first over went for 14 runs, though he at least drew a significant edge from Usman Khawaja when squaring him up at the crease.

When he returned to attack midway through the first session, he pinned David Warner on the crease, but wasted a review on a ball that struck the Australian above the pads.

By the time the Pakistan team walked from Perth Stadium at the lunch break, Australia had 117 runs on the board, with well over a third of those plundered from Afridi. But at least he was threatening.

While Aamer Jamal drew a top edge from Usman Khawaja that should have been swallowed by Shafique Abdullah, the dearth of pace was alarming initially.

The concerns were clear leading into the series, with Naseem Shah injured and Haris Rauf preferring to play in the Big Bash rather than represent his nation.

Genuine quicks Hasan Ali and Mohammad Waseem Jnr were also overlooked, with Pakistan preferring debutants Khurram Shazhad and Aamer Jamal, along with Faheem Ashraf.

Pakistan’s pacemen improved after lunch and began to trouble the Australian top-order, former Australian great Mike Hussey noted.

“I think they seemed pretty nervous in the first session, but they probably weren’t … allowed to bowl as well as they would like because of the way Warner came at them,” Hussey told foxsports.com.au.

“But I think after lunch, they had a really good period where they bowled much better (and found) a more consistent line and length.

“I think looking at their attack, you’ve obviously got the left arm Shaheen. The rest of them look similar style, a similar pace, so you can get a bit of rhythm up against an attack like that.

“But … they looked okay. I mean (they are) not worldbeaters, or anything like that, but they look serviceable. If they can just get it in the right area and be patient and disciplined for long periods of time, then … they can get the rewards, for sure.”

WARNER WILL BE MISSED, AND CAN’T BE REPLACED

David Warner just loves proving people wrong.

He couldn’t escape the spotlight ahead of the first Test against Pakistan. Having declared his intention to wrap up his Test career in front of a home crowd at the SCG, pundits were questioning whether Warner was still in Australia’s best starting XI, most notably former teammate Mitchell Johnson.

However, Warner needed only needed one day to prove his doubters wrong.

The New South Welshman peeled off his 26th Test hundred on day one of the Perth contest, reaching triple figures in just 125 deliveries.

Warner passed triple figures with an uppercut through the slips cordon, immediately removing his helmet and performing a trademark Toyota leap. He then blew a kiss towards the media box before embracing Steve Smith.

“There’s going to be criticism, but you’ve got to take that. There’s no better way to silence them than putting runs on the board,” Warner told Fox Cricket at tea.

Warner, who was later dismissed for 164, has put to bed any speculation on whether he’d get his fairytale farewell in front of friends and family at the SCG next month.

“It was an outstanding innings,” former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist told Fox Cricket.

“He came out with his characteristic intent, with all sorts of commentary surrounding him leading into the Test.

“He’s continually and consistently fought fire with fire, I was thrilled that he did that.

“He had elements of good fortune, which opening the batting in any Test match you’re going to have to have, and he’s absolutely capitalised on any opportunity to score.

“To make that statement puts to bed any issue. We might now get to enjoy David Warner at his finest for another couple of Test matches.”

It wasn’t a chanceless knock; in the third over of the day, Shaheen Shah Afridi found the outside edge of Warner’s bat, with the chance narrowly evading a lunging third slip. However, the Australian opener hardly put a foot wrong after the early reprieve.

In trademark fashion, Warner put pressure on the bowlers early. He was unafraid to play his shots, occasionally switching to white-ball mode in the middle.

The veteran opener whipped out lofted cut shots, extravagant glances through fine leg and a couple of glorious straight drives when Pakistan’s seamers overpitched. Later in the morning session, Warner ended up on his backside after ramping Afridi over the wicketkeeper’s head for six.

Before the first drinks break, Pakistan captain Shan Masood had no choice but to put a boundary ride at deep point for Warner, allowing him to comfortably rotate the strike.

On Thursday, Warner leapfrogged Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke on Australia’s all-time Test runs tally, putting him fifth overall. There’s no disputing whether or not he’s a modern great of the game.

There remains speculation on who will replace Warner in the Test side after he hangs up the boots, with Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matthew Renshaw among the leading candidates. However, none of them has the capacity to produce a Test knock quite like this.

Put simply, Warner’s aggression at the top of the order can’t be replaced. He’ll be sorely missed.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY GOES BEGGING

On a day David Warner plundered the Pakistan pacemen to notch his 26th century, the rest of the Australian top-order will be pondering what might have been at the end of day one.

From Warner’s opening partner Usman Khawaja through to World Cup hero Travis Head batting at No. 6, Australia’s batters failed to convert promising starts into defining innings.

An expansive cover drive brought undone Khawaja, who was initially dropped on 21, shortly after lunch when he edged Shaheen Shah Afridi to wicketkeeper Safaraz Ahmed for 41.

Marnus Labuschagne (16) looked in reasonable touch until he was trapped on the pads by Faheem Ashraf, with his appeal against the LBW dismissal proving unsuccessful.

Steve Smith batted with freedom until he too flashed outside off-stump when on 31, with his edge behind to the keeper enough to give Khurram Shahzad his maiden Test wicket.

As he so often does, Travis Head rattled along late on the first day, scoring at nearly one run per ball until he fell for a trap set by Pakistan skipper Shan Masood.

After reaching 40 from 52 balls, Head rocked back to cut Aamer Jamal but only top-edged the ball through to Agha Salman, who was fielding at fly-slip.

Apart from Warner, no other Australian reached fifty on a day that should have been dominated by the batters.

TEST CRICKET’S BIGGEST PROBLEM RETURNS

Pakistan is at risk of losing World Test Championship points after failing to get through 90 overs on day one of the series opener in Perth.

The visitors got through 50 overs in the first two sessions at Perth Stadium, leaving themselves with plenty of work to do after the tea break. After the tea break, Pakistan relied heavily on part-time spinner Salman Ali Agha getting through some quick overs to resolve the overrate.

But it ultimately wasn’t enough. Only 84 overs took place on day one, even with the added half-hour of action. Pending the verdict of match referee Javagal Srinath, Pakistan could be staring down the barrel of a sanction in the form of WTC points.

“I think we are just short the one over,” Pakistan bowler Aamir Jamal told reporters at stumps.

“We will try to compensate that one over in the morning.”

The Pakistanis wouldn’t be the first to feel the wrath of the ICC for sloppiness in the field. Australia and England both lost WTC points during the recent Ashes series in the United Kingdom, while the Australians missed out on the 2021 WTC final due to an overrate punishment.

As we’re still in the early stages of the WTC cycle, it’s impossible to predict whether a points deduction will harm Pakistan’s chances of fighting for a spot in the final. However, as overrate issues continue to plague Test cricket, national sides will need to work harder to find a solution.

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