1st Test: Australia bat first against Pakistan

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1st Test: Australia bat first against Pakistan

Perth (Web Desk): Australia won the toss and decided to bat first against Pakistan in the first Test of the three-match series in Perth on Thursday.

Opener David Warner brought up his 26th Test century and his first in a year to silence the critics in what is expected to be his Test series finale.

The 37-year-old came into the opening Test under pressure after a lean spell and with former paceman Mitchell Johnson questioning why he deserved a farewell tour.

New Pakistan captain Shan Masood included two debutants in his side, adding pacemen Aamer Jamal and Khurram Shahzad to an attack spearheaded by Shaheen Shah Afridi. They have no specialist spinner.

Pakistan have performed poorly in Australia, losing 14 Tests on the trot with their last win in 1995.
"We wanted to have a bat as well," Masood said. "You have to put the toss aside and put in a good bowling performance."

Shan led Team Pakistan looking to win their first Test on Australian soil in nearly three decades.

Teams

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

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