David Warner had a mountain of controversy behind him before the first Test, but the veteran Aussie opener overcame the noise on day one with a massive century to kick off the summer.
The innings has all but locked in his place for the rest of the summer, offering him his dream farewell as he prepares to retire.
Whatever you may think of Warner, his dashing innings proved he is still one of the most destructive batsmen in the world on his day.
The 37-year-old faced 211 deliveries in the first innings and while he played and missed a few, his innings showcased a bit of everything that has made his career tick.
A trailblazing start to the innings saw him score at more than a run a ball, including a ridiculous shot for six behind his head. But when Pakistan regained some bite with the ball, Warner tightened up and poked his way from 50 to 100.
He also passed Michael Clarke and Matthew Hayden to become Australia’s fifth highest scoring batsman of all time with 8,651.
But it wasn’t enough to snag him the man of the match honours.
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Hometown boy Mitchell Marsh, playing in his first Perth Test in six years, narrowly trumped Warner for the match with 90, 63 not out and a wicket in the first innings.
Marsh’s career has taken a turn for the better in recent months, regaining his place as Australia’s first pick all-rounder.
“It’s been amazing, obviously my first Test at Perth Stadium and the first Test match at Perth in six years so it’s nice to be back,” he said after the game.
“Thank you everyone for getting around me it’s been an incredible experience.”
But he’s already pouring cold water on suggestions he should take on more responsibility with the bat after Warner departs.
The all-rounder delivered a blunt response to one of the biggest questions facing the Australian Test squad this summer midway through the game after showcasing some of his best hitting at Perth Stadium.
With Warner’s time at the crease set to end following the Sydney Test, speculation has ran wild over who will be the man to take his spot at the top of the order.
While Matt Renshaw and Cameron Bancroft have emerged as the leading candidates among cricket fans, Marsh’s name was thrown into the mix.
The Western Australian star, who blazed a stunning 90 on day two against Pakistan, was asked for his thoughts on moving up the order to partner with Usman Khawaja.
He gave a rather emphatic two word response to the question.
“Absolutely not,” Marsh said.
“How do I answer this without creating a headline? For me, I appreciate there is talk about it and eventually we are going to need a new opener with Davey leaving,” he said.
“But I have worked really hard to get back into this side and for me to look forward to having a role as an opener just doesn’t make sense to me. I love batting at No.6.
“I guess in my last four Test matches, I have really found my way in who I am as a Test cricketer and I am loving it, so I am reluctant to change that.”
