Australia Won the Toss,Bat First
2023.12.14
Pakistan’s Australian trip got off to a rough start as they were placed under pressure by the hosts, who were spearheaded by David Warner’s 72-run innings on the first morning in Perth.
Australia chose to bat, and despite Shaheen Afridi‘s inability to settle into a rhythm with the new ball, they were not uncomfortable at all throughout. Khurram Shahzad, making his debut, bowled several tight overs, although Afridi was guilty of overspraying the ball in an attempt to score wickets.
With plenty of boundaries to work with, this gave an eager Warner the opportunity to start his farewell Test series in the way he wanted. Warner carried quite a commendable job of attacking and applying constant pressure to the bowlers. Reaching his 37th Test fifty, he blasted three fours in an Ashraf over. Arriving at just 41 balls, it gave Australia the opportunity to control the strokes.
A composed Usman Khawaja, unfazed by the dot balls piling up, provided the perfect counterpoint to Warner’s belligerent. On 21, when Abdullah Shafique mishandled a high catch while sprinting back from the slip cordon, he was fortunate to escape unharmed.
During his comeback over Warner, Shaheen Afridi’s LBW appeal was dismissed. Warner then escalated the tension by boldly hitting a six off a length ball. That also directed Australia’s attacking strategy into the lunch break, setting them up nicely to score a large amount.
Brief Scores: Australia 117/0 (David Warner 72*) vs Pakistan
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