‘Century was so emotional – I almost cried when it happened’

Dawid Malan believes maiden hundred will boost self-belief, writes Nick Hoult in Perth

Reaching a maiden Test hundred is an emotional moment, even more so when it happens in an Ashes Test, and Dawid Malan was close to tears when he raised his bat at the Waca.

Malan shook his fist and lifted his bat towards his parents in the crowd as he became the 11th England player, and only the fourth in 30 years, to score a Test century in Perth. As he walked off at the end his mother, Janet, could not resist planting a kiss on his cheek.

Afterwards Malan spoke eloquently about how the achievement imbues a sense of belonging at Test level, a crucial layer of confidence for any player at the beginning of their careers, especially late starters such as the 30-year-old.

“It was so emotional, I didn’t really know what to do,” he said. “I almost started crying when it happened. To do it in front of them [parents] after the amount of sacrifices my old man and mum made for me made it very special. In anything you do, it is about self-belief. When you get that first hundred or five-for you have the belief to trust your game going into the next match.”

England were desperate last summer for a batsman to claim a regular place. Tom Westley had a go, as did Keaton Jennings and Gary Ballance. Malan was a hunch, picked on character and the sense that he enjoyed the big stage, having taken on Morne Morkel on his Twenty20 debut.

After a decade of county cricket, during which he never really looked close to the Test team, Malan was finally picked in July against South Africa when he was not in form. But he showed he has character, grinding out two half-centuries against the West Indies. They were enough for an Ashes place. Since arriving in Australia, a country he had never even visited, let alone played in, he has batted more side on, working on his alignment with Gary Palmer, Alastair Cook’s batting coach.

Brought up on South African pitches, it is no surprise that Malan is a good hooker and puller. Australia suits him. Malan actually enjoyed the peppering at the start of his innings. He came in at 115 for three when Joe Root was out, and

with Australia’s bowlers operating at high pace on a bouncy pitch for the first time in the series. It is a belting batting track but survival in the first few overs takes courage when the ball is flying through.

With the ball not moving sideways, Malan decided to take the attack to Australia. He played seven pull shots in his first 10 overs, and only one, which flew off the back of his bat for six, was uncontrolled.

“I really enjoyed it, the pace those guys come at you with the short ball,” Malan said. “In county cricket you are more worried about the front pad, and getting nicked off by 78mph dibbly dobblies. They [Australia] test you in different ways, not only technically but test your heart too.”

Malan’s one real scare was on 92, against the new ball, when he edged Mitchell Starc to third slip and was dropped. “I got a bit ahead of myself,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘I’m only two or three shots away from a hundred’. It was a good time to get a little let-off and get back in my box.” There was a flappy hook at a leg-side short ball from Josh Hazlewood but then he served up another gift which Malan pulled down to the fence at fine leg.

“There is no better feeling at the Waca than seeing the ball go down there, knowing you have a hundred,” Ricky Ponting said on commentary. Now Malan knows it.