In the opening Test match between Australia and Pakistan at Perth’s WACA ground, Australia chose to bat first after skipper Pat Cummins won the toss.
In the initial stages of the match, the Australian opening batsmen made strong progress. David Warner held his ground at an unbeaten 72, while Usman Khawaja stood at 37 not out. The hosts crossed the 100-run mark without losing any wickets just before the lunch break.
Meanwhile, Pakistan was fervently seeking breakthroughs, with newly appointed captain Shan Masood leading the charge in his first game at the helm. Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad, debutants in Test cricket, bolstered the Pakistani bowling attack. Sarfaraz Ahmed took the gloves as wicketkeeper, while Mohammad Rizwan was left out of the playing XI.
Under Shan’s leadership, Pakistan aimed to secure their first Test victory on Australian soil in nearly thirty years. Masood expressed confidence in his team’s preparation and eagerness to play more Test cricket, emphasizing its significance as the pinnacle of the sport. He highlighted the presence of world-class players within the squad.
Additionally, in other developments, Shaheen Afridi was named the vice-captain of the Pakistan Test team.
Here are the squads for the PAKvAUS Test series:
Pakistan:
- Abdullah Shafique
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Shan Masood (capt)
- Babar Azam
- Saud Shakeel
- Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk)
- Salman Ali Agha
- Faheem Ashraf
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Aamer Jamal
- Khurram Shahzad
Australia:
- David Warner
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steven Smith
- Travis Head
- Mitchell Marsh
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Mitchell Starc
- Pat Cummins (capt)
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
