After hitting 130 runs on the second morning of the Perth Test against Pakistan, Australia established themselves as the dominant team. Even though Australia scored 346 on the first day, they lost half their side, keeping Pakistan in the hunt to limit the hosts to a score of no more than 400. Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey, on the other hand, dashed such aspirations, with the former edging in on a century by the end of the session.
Marsh established his dominance early in the day, fetching back-to-back boundaries in his second over of the day. The boundaries just kept flowing from there as both Marsh and Carey wounded Pakistan. The bowling change of Faheem Ashraf did not work either, as Marsh ripped him apart for three fours in one over. Faheem’s following over saw the two hitters hit three more boundaries as the total surpassed 400.
Pakistan ultimately found a savior in Aamer Jamal, who broke the menacing stand with a peach of a ball that breached Carey’s defense and shattered the stumps. That wicket didn’t deter Marsh, who continued to find boundaries to hold Pakistan at away. He hammered a pull over square leg from Jamal for a six, then Mitchell Starc cut loose to smash the bowler for consecutive boundaries in the same over.
Jamel came back in style in his next over, bowling Starc. However, Australia maintained their lead and are currently on track for a 500-plus score in the first innings.
Australia 476/7 (David Warner 164, Mitchell Marsh 90, Aamer Jamal 4/108) defeated Pakistan.
