Warner hits ton as Australia reach 346-5 on opening day of first Pakistan Test

Opener David Warner starred on the opening day of the first Test between Pakistan and Australia in Perth on Thursday. 

The home side reached 346-5 at stumps on day one with Mitchell Marsh (15) and Alex Carey (14) on the crease. 

In the lead-up, former paceman Mitchell Johnson questioned whether Warner deserved a hero´s farewell given his recent poor red-ball form and involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.

The 37-year-old Warner, in his 110th Test, responded in typical swashbuckling fashion, scoring 164 runs while hitting 16 fours and four sixes in his 211-ball knock.

After struggling to pick up wickets in the first two sessions, Pakistan bowlers improved considerably to claim three wickets in the post-tea session. 

Aamer Jamal claimed two wickets, dismissing Warner and a dangerous-looking Travid Head (40). 

Steve Smith was sent back to the hut after scoring 31 runs by Khurram Shahzad. 

Post-lunch session 

The home side reached 210-2 at tea on the first day with opener David Warner scoring an unbeaten century. The left-hander has scored 111 runs in 149 balls with the help of 15 fours and a six.

Khawaja and Warner notched up 126 runs for the first wicket. 

Pakistan managed to claim two wickets in the second session with Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissing Usman Khawaja (41) and Faheem Ashraf getting the scalp of Marnus Labuschagne (16). The visitors went wicketless in the first session of the day.

Steven Smith was not out on 21 runs at the interval.  

First session 

In the morning session on day one, Australia reached 117-0 with David Warner and Usman Khawaja providing a solid start to the home side. 

Warner took the attack to the Pakistan bowlers and was unbeaten on 72 runs in just 67 balls at the break. He smashed 11 fours and a six.

Khawaja was not out on 37 runs with the help of five boundaries. 

Aamir Jamal missed out on picking up his maiden Test wicket after Abdullah Shafique dropped Khawaja when he was on 21.

Toss 

Earlier, Australia won the toss and decided to bat in the first Test against Pakistan in Perth on Thursday. 

Pacers Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad made their Test debut for Pakistan.

Australia made just one change to the most recent side that took the field in the Ashes finale in August at The Oval, with the fit-again Nathan Lyon replacing Todd Murphy.

"We've played a lot of cricket together and this year has been special. We play pretty well here, have a good record. An Aussie ground with pace and bounce. No secret [Nathan] is the main guy in our bowling line-up, great to have him back," Australia's captain Pat Cummins said after winning the toss. 

Whitewashed in each of their last five Test tours of Australia, optimism will be in short supply for Pakistan ahead of a three-match series starting in Perth, with new captain Shan Masood's task made even more difficult by a depleted bowling corps.

The last time Pakistan won a Test Down Under was in late 1995 when nearly half of the current side were not even born, and in Pat Cummins-led Australia they face the reigning world Test champions.

Pakistan's unpredictability means they can never be ruled out but their chaotic buildup to the series makes the tourists tough to back in Australia.

Masood inherited the Test captaincy from Babar Azam, who stepped down as all-formats skipper last month in the wake of their failure to make the semi-finals of the 50-overs World Cup in India.

Lineups 

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad

Series schedule

First Test: December 14-18, Perth

Second Test: December 26-30, Melbourne

Third Test: January 3-7, Sydney