Paine wants Gabba kickoff to all Test series after crushing win
Australian captain Tim Paine said he would prefer all home Test series to begin at the Gabba after his side recorded a dominant win over Pakistan in the first Test on Sunday. The Australians went one up in their two-test series when they won the opening match at the Brisbane fortress by an innings and five runs late on the fourth day for their 29th consecutive Test victory at the venue dating back to 1988.
“We like playing here and we’ve done well here for a long time, so we’d like to start here against anyone,” Paine said when asked whether India should open next year’s Test tour in Brisbane, the traditional start to an Australian summer.
On India’s last tour of Australia, the first Test was moved to Adelaide where the tourists won by 31 runs.
Pakistan were left chasing the match once they were bowled out for 240 in their first innings having won the toss and elected to bat.
Australia replied with 580 on the back of big centuries by man-of-the match Marnus Labuschagne and opener David Warner.
Australia’s top three of Joe Burns (97),Warner (154) and Labuschagne (185) scored 436 runs, with Paine saying the team now had the benefit of stability at the top of the order.
“We’ve known Burnsie’s a topquality opening bat for a long time and it’s great having him back in the side opening with Davey (Warner),” Paine said.
“It’s been hard to have stability because we haven’t been performing as we’d like ... but I think we’ve got a pretty good group at the moment and can still get a lot better as well.” After beginning their second innings 340 runs behind Australia and then losing three cheap wickets in the afternoon session on Saturday, the Pakistanis put up stern resistance Sunday before finally succumbing late in the final session. -AFP