Marnus Labuschagne scores his eighth Test century, as Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja gets fifties on day one of the first Test against the West Indies.
Look back at all the action from Perth Stadium in our live blog or check out the scorecard.
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STUMPS: Australia 2-293 (Labsuchagne 153*, Smith 59*)
By Jon Healy
Marnus Labuschagne was the star of the show on a really good day for Australia.
The 28-year-old says his 10-week-old daughter, Hallie, was in the stands for her first day of cricket and got to watch dad score a ton.
"Those are memories that will sit with you for a very long time," he tells Fox Sports.
Steve Smith is also lurking with his 59 not out, which should terrify the tourists, while Usman Khawaja's 65 proved he still has the form that's pushed him beyond 900 Test runs this year.
The West Indies have a mountain to climb, but it's only day one and a lot can happen in the following nine or so days of this series.
We'll be with you every day, so until then...
90th over - Jason Holder finishes the day
By Jon Healy
And he's pulled out an absolute seed, seaming aggressively past the outside edge of Marnus Labuschagne, who pays due respect to his opponent.
"Oh Jason, that's a [inaudible] ball." Not sure what the adjective was, but it was positive.
The last ball of the day squirts off Smith's inside edge for a single. And this pair can walk off together with their heads held high.
89th over - Kyle Mayers has one chance before stumps
By Jon Healy
As we saw with his last spell, he only needs one chance.
But no first-ball wicket this time.
Nor any other ball.
150 runs for Marnus Labuschagne
By Jon Healy
Another milestone for Marnus Labuschagne. He's look rock solid since an opening feeling-out period and it's another one of those knocks where you feel like the only person who can get him out is himself.
88th over - Seales starts up again
By Jon Healy
Great running from these two between the wickets, really pushing to get back for a second.
FOUR! Too wide, and it gets what it deserves from Labuschagne.
And then he props onto the front foot, and...
Today's attendance, 10,929
By Simon Smale
Perth Stadium has a capacity of 60,000.
87th over - Roach returns to Smudger
By Jon Healy
A couple of singles to the off side. Neither batter showing any signs of nerves about reaching stumps unscathed.
Oh not a bad shout for LBW on Smith. Roach thinks maybe he has him for 58, and Kraigg Brathwaite calls for the DRS! Our first review of the series.
Looks mighty high. Right up the top of the pad. I'd be surprised if this was hitting.
Yep. Well over. Not out.
86th over - The end of the day is nigh
By Jon Healy
Jayden Seales will bowl the fifth-last over of the day.
He spears one down leg, wasting one of the 30 deliveries left today.
And hangs one well outside off that Labuschagne has a look at, but pulls out of. Good call, Marn.
A little hint of swing, but the Aussie batters are keeping their bats out of the way for now.
Illness ravages England Test side, Pakistan Test could be delayed
By Simon Smale
Speaking of scheduling nightmares, there's a real issue brewing in Pakistan, where several England players, including captain Ben Stokes, are feeling unwell on the eve of the team's first Test in the country in 17 years.
Only five England players — Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope and Joe Root – turned up for training at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The rest of the squad members stayed at the team hotel.
Team spokesman Danny Reuben didn’t elaborate on the nature of the illnesses or give the exact number of affected England players, but said in a statement that the unwell players “have been advised to stay at the hotel to rest up.”
The situation is so bad that the BBC's chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt reports that talks have been held over postponing the first Test between England and Pakistan by a day.
Joe Root told the BBC that it was not COVID related.
"We don't think it's COVID or food-related," he said.
"We're hoping it's just a 24-hour bug and everyone is fit and ready to go tomorrow."
England has already named its playing XI for the opening game of the three-match series with all-rounder Liam Livingstone set to make his test debut while Ben Duckett was named as opener with Zak Crawley.
England last toured Pakistan in 2005 and is scheduled to play three test matches at Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi.
Given the importance of the tour, Root said, "It's not the worst thing if we have to wait to make sure the game isn't cancelled."
Reporting with AP
85th over - Labushchagne faces Kemar Roach
By Jon Healy
Four more! An edge, but well controlled by Marnus straight down and wide of the slips. Frustration for Roach and the West Indies.
BANG! Smith gets four runs of his own, and there's no luck involved this time, absolutely murdering a ball from wide outside off through mid-wicket. Superb stroke.
Sensational recovery from Kemar Roach though, straightening off the seam and beating Smith's outside edge.
84th over - Jayden Seales returns to the attack
By Jon Healy
He has a bit of early out-swing, but the line and length is all wrong.
And again. He's verrrry lucky to not be called for a wide there. Not sure how Labuschagne was supposed to play a shot to that.
OH SO CLOSE! Labuschagne slashes away over the off side and Tagenarine Chanderpaul almost takes a screamer charging forward in the deep, but he can't get there in time. Marnus survives.
83rd over - Now they are taking the new ball
By Jon Healy
OK, not sure why they waited for two overs, but Kemar Roach has it in hand and will have a go with a hard new Kooka.
Big shout as Labuschagne chases a wide one, but it was a bump ball at best.
"All ground," Labuschagne says, and this time I'm inclined to believe him.
Just a single Marnus single from the over.
82nd over - Still spinning it with the old ball
By Jon Healy
They must be thinking about taking it in the morning. Roston Chase continues.
Chase is mixing up his speeds well, and basically bowls a 93kph out-swinger, which Marnus pushes down the ground for one.
81st over - The skipper's bowling himself!
By Jon Healy
No new ball, Kraigg Brathwaite is gonna try some darts.
And Marnus has almost chopped on and been caught out in one fell swoop! He played back and off the inside edge into the wicketkeeper's leg and it popped up over slip's head. This is some weird captaincy, but I love it.
Smith and Labuschagne exchange singles, and Marnus tells Joshua da Silva of that first ball from Brathwaite that almost brought him unstuck: "Mate, that was so quick".
80th over - Last over before the second new ball arrives
By Jon Healy
Roston Chase will bowl what you'd imagine would be his last for the day.
Smudge is defending easily, but Joshua da Silva is talking his spinner up, as all good keepers do.
Smith sees it out, and the second new ball is available now.
79th over - Joseph to Labuschagne
By Jon Healy
In the air ... but it falls safely for Labuschagne. He thought he was done as the ball ballooned up off his splice as he tried to pull a short ball, but it fell safely behind mid-wicket.
Three singles off it, and both sides seem to be treading water until the second new ball arrives.
Fifty runs for Steven Peter Devereux Smith
By Jon Healy
His half-century comes off 75 balls, so he's going at a faster clip than anyone else today. This new simpler technique seems to be working a treat.
Wednesday Tests?
By Simon Smale
Why did this test start on Wednesday?
- When day?
Hi, When day?
It is very rare that a Test starts on a Wednesday, so it is unusual.
Statistician extraordinare Rick Finlay just said this on the ABC Grandstand radio coverage (listen here via the ABC Listen app) of this match.
"About 10 years ago, there were three consecutive Tests at the WACA that started on Wednesday.
"Since WWII, there has also been one at Brisbane and one at Adelaide.
"They're rare."
FYI, that's not including Tests at the SCG or MCG as they're scheduled around holidays, so can start on Wednesday if that's when Boxing Day is, for example.
As for the reason — it will be a scheduling thing.
If we assume Boxing Day is a fixed point in time that cannot change, then the other Tests of the summer have to fit around that, really.
This Test is scheduled to finish on Sunday December 4, if it goes the distance.
The Monday will be a travel day to Adelaide, and that Test starts on Thursday December 8. That will finish on December 12 (or before).
Then you have a five day break before the first Test against South Africa starts in Brisbane on December 17, which finishes on December 21.
Then Boxing Day is, obviously on December 26.
That's not much break time between what is essentially four back-to-back Tests.
