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Australia will be out to prolong Pakistan’s pain when the west Test in Perth resumes on day two.
The Aussies resumed the second day at 5-346 after David Warner’s 164 powered them into a commanding position on Thursday.
And an inexperienced Pakistan side has been warned the Optus Stadium pitch is playing more tricks than Australia’s dominance suggests.
Follow all the action from day two below.
DAY 1 RECAP: WARNER’S CENTURY, JOHNSON’S REACTION AND MORE
2.56PM: JAMAL STRIKES AGAIN
Debutant Jamal has produced two absolute peaches this morning to remove Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc.
This was close to a carbon copy — around the wicket, Starc caught on the crease and a small outside edge before thundering into the top of off stump.
The Pakistan quick now has four wickets on Test debut.
That was a great response after he was unlucky not to have Starc out lbw the ball before due to DRS umpire’s call.
“That was a peach from Jamal,” says Mike Hussey in commentary.
2.47PM: VAUGHAN — MARSH CAN DOMINATE FOR YEARS
As he eyes another hundred on his home ground, Mitch Marsh has been tipped to become a dominant force in Test cricket for years to come.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan told Fox Cricket he thought Marsh’s run-a-ball 118 during this year’s Ashes series had been the making of him as a Test batter.
And he said the confidence Marsh was batting with could propel him to new heights.
“I still think the best years are still ahead of Mitchell Marsh,” Vaughan said.
“I think he’s going to have a dominating period in Test match cricket over the next 2-3 years with the bat in hand.
“Now he’s got that real confidence from that innings that he played at Headingley…Mark Wood was bowling as quick as I’d seen Mark Wood down the hill at Headingley.
“Mitchell Marsh had all the time in the world.”
The 32-year-old has been touted as a potential replacement for David Warner but Mark Waugh said he hoped selectors left Marsh where he could be his most destructive.
2.22PM: CAREY BOWLED BY JAMAL
Pakistan’s bowling has been pretty ordinary this morning but from nowhere Jamal produces an “absolute jaffa” to skittle Alex Carey.
Bowling around the wicket, he angles in towards Carey’s middle stump before the ball holds its like and rockets into off stump.
Australia is 6-411.
2.17PM: MARSH ROCKETS TO FIFTY
The pace of Pakistan’s bowlers is well down this morning in Perth and Mitch Marsh is taking full toll.
The WA crowd is loving it as their hometown boy charges past 50 and Australia’s total is now above 400.
It’s quite remarkable what Marsh has done since coming back into the Test side during the Ashes.
And even harder to think he once regarded himself as Australia’s most hated cricketer.
Everyone seems to be on board the Mitch Marsh express now.
1.55PM: PAKISTAN GREAT BAFFLED BY SELECTION SNUB
One of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers says he is confused by the non-selection of Hassan Ali for the first Test.
The 29-year-old has taken 78 Test wickets and would have brought experience to a bowling line-up which instead contains two debutants.
“Most experienced player, 78 wickets in Test cricket, six five-wicket hauls,” Akram said on Fox Cricket.
“One 10-wicket haul. And you need experience in Australia, especially on pitches like this. “We have seen yesterday Ahmed Jamal struggle with the first spell and so did Faheem Ashraf. “And they all kind of are the same pace…apart from Shaheen Afridi who is slightly quicker at times. Not consistently quick.”
Akram later said he was “baffled” by Ali being left out.
“He’s experienced, he runs in, he bowls well. He’s aggressive,” he said.
1.30PM: HUGE WARNING FOR PAKISTAN BATTERS
Day one centurion David Warner has provided an insight into a Perth pitch which will test the mettle of Pakistan’s batters on day two.
With Australia destined to bowl on Friday, Warner said there were sections of the pitch which were “kissing and climbing” during his innings.
The prospect of a juicy deck will have Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood bullish.
“I felt like batting at this end here specifically, there’s a little bit of a patch area that was kissing and climbing,” Warner told Channel 7.
“I felt anything (with) width I could throw the kitchen sink at. I think I missed a fair few.”
Pakistan great Wasim Akram added: “I think this is only going to get (more) difficult for the batters.”
1.20PM: LEGEND’S TAKE ON RACE TO REPLACE WARNER
Adam Gilchrist says he fears Australia will back itself into a corner if it shoehorns Mitchell Marsh or Travis Head into replacing David Warner as Test opener.
As selectors weigh up whether to entrust a traditional opener with partnering Usman Khawaja or shuffling the order to accommodate Cameron Green’s return, Gilchrist said he was worried about affecting team chemistry.
“My mindset’s more still with a traditional opener for Test cricket. But I hear the suggestion or hear the reasoning behind Cam Green,” Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.
“And I think if they were going to go that way, if it someone else other than a traditional opener, he is the man there.
“The point being if you went with Marsh, or even Travis Head or Labuschagne was mentioned, what happens if it doesn’t work out for them?
“If Mitch Marsh went to the top of the order and Cam Green came in in the middle order, Cam Green got runs and Mitch Marsh didn’t.
“Do you say, ‘OK, well Mitch you’re out’. Or ‘you go back to six, Green you’re out and we’re going with an opener’. There’s probably a bit too much to chance.”
Warner will almost assuredly get his SCG farewell after a blistering century on day one in Perth.
Mark Waugh agreed Green would be a better choice for the top of the order than Marsh, Labuschagne and Head.
“It will be interesting to see what the selectors do when Warner does retire (with) that opening slot. I’d be tempted to give it to Cameron Green,” he said.
“I think Bancroft has probably got his nose in front out of Renshaw, Harris, Bancroft, of those three, I’d reckon.”
Play on day 2 of the first Test will start at 1.20pm (AEDT). Follow all the news and live action right here.
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