6 Notable Things That Came From the 1st Australia V Pakistan Cricket Test

Mitchell Marsh of Australia celebrates with team mates the wicket of Babar Azam of Pakistan during day three of the Men's First Test match between Australia and Pakistan at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, on Dec. 16, 2023. Paul Kane/Getty Images

Australia has smashed Pakistan in the WACA showdown, bagging a jaw-dropping 360-run win on day four of the cricket test.

Records got shattered left and right, but it feels like a bunch of fans missed the memo and decided to Netflix and chill at home instead.

1. WA Crowd Numbers Were Poor

West Australian cricket die-hards have made themselves loud and clear in their protest game.

Before the first test kicked off, there was a buzz about fans possibly giving the Perth Test at Optus Stadium a massive cold shoulder, all in protest of how their local legend and ex-Aussie coach, Justin Langer, had been treated.

Come Thursday, the first day of the test the fears turned real as more than two-thirds of the 60,000-seat stadium looked lonely. Only 16,259 fans rocked up, a far cry from the massive 92,453 who were there to watch Australia clinch the World Cup in India.

2. Nathan Lyon Celebrates His 500th Wicket

Lyon’s got the monkey off his back.

With a killer 501 wickets, he’s now in the elite club alongside legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath as the only Aussies to smash through that 500-wicket barrier.

Captain Pat Cummins had to whip out the DRS card after the umpire called Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf not out. But guess what? Review says the wicket was golden, and now our GOAT Lyon is strutting his stuff at number eight in the global test wickets chart.

3. David Warner’s Farewell Tour Is One to Watch

David Warner is on fire, notching up a blazing 164 in the first innings.

He’s left Viv Richards (West Indies) and Virender Sehwag (India) in the dust on the all-time Test run charts, and he’s now set for a glorious farewell test in front of his home crowd in Sydney.

When it comes to speed demons on the test runs list, it’s a three-horse race. Warner’s striking at a cool 70.45, with Sehwag at 82.23, and Richards is chilling at 69.77. They’re basically in a scoring stratosphere of their own.

Warner is a Pakistan cricketer’s nightmare—six test hundreds against them, and this is his third score over 150. And oh, did I mention his average from 11 Tests is pushing into the 90s? We’re crossing our fingers for a Sydney century, but we won’t jinx it.

Australia's Mitchell Starc (L) reacts after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Abdullah Shafique (2nd R) on day four of the first Test cricket match between Australia and Pakistan in Perth on Dec. 17, 2023. COLIN MURTY/AFP via Getty Images

4. Aamer Jamal Takes 6 Wickets on Debut for Pakistan

Aamer Jamal just dropped a debut bomb on Australia, snatching six wickets with figures that scream “take a bow”—6/111, to be exact.

These stats make him the third-best debutant among Pakistan pacers. Talk about making a grand entrance!

But hold up, where did this young gun come from? Well, turns out he’s been honing his skills in the NSW grade cricket comp, repping Hawkesbury like a boss. And it seems like Hawkesbury’s become the place to be, although their place on the table doesn’t reflect this but they’ve also snagged Steve O'Keefe this season (even though he’s been on the injury bench).

Now, with Jamal on fire, Hawkesbury’s probably sending out a bat signal for him to hurry back.

5. Carey Relives the Bairstow Stumping Saga

Alex Carey had a Friday fumble that had everyone scratching their heads, and it all felt like déjà vu from the Jonny Bairstow stumping saga.

The missed chance to send Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique packing became the weirdest side story, bringing Carey’s stumping skills back under the microscope, just like the spotlight on day five at Lord’s half a year ago.

Carey goes for the bails with a dramatic flourish, only to find the stumps still standing, leaving the Aussies gesturing wildly for an appeal. He was caught by the stump mic shouting, “I hit the stump, I hit the stump, I hit the stump, without the bails going off. I touched the stump.”

Former Test opener Greg Blewett said “no doubt” there’s some subconscious thing messing with Carey’s bail-removing mojo. He even throws it back to the Ashes and the Bairstow incident, wondering if Carey’s thinking, “Do I really want to go there again?”

Luckily for the Aussies, the miss didn’t cost them much in the end.

Fans watch the final session during day four of the Men's First Test match between Australia and Pakistan at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, on Dec. 17, 2023. Paul Kane/Getty Images

6. Mitchell Johnson Controversy

No cricket match is ever without controversy. This time it was David Warner and Mitchell Johnson making the pre-match headlines.

Johnson, unleashing his thoughts in his newspaper column, took a swipe at even thinking about Warner’s wish for a farewell Test match in Sydney. Shots fired.

According to Johnson, Warner doesn’t deserve the royal treatment because of his role in the Sandpaper Gate saga.

No apology, no farewell—that’s the Johnson verdict. But we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

We’re over here with a polite: “Nah, mate.” We reckon Warner’s done enough to earn a spot in the farewell Test match limelight, controversy or not. Let the games begin, on and off the field.

The Boxing Day test begins on Dec. 26 at the MCG. Bets on a far larger crowd than Perth.