Australia wins the toss in the opening Test and wants Pakistan to bowl

As the eagerly awaited Test series between Pakistan and Australia commences today, Australian captain Pat Cummins won the coin toss and opted to have Pakistan bat at Perth Stadium on Thursday.

In what is anticipated to be his final Test series, Australian power-hitter David Warner finds himself under pressure to accumulate runs and secure his position on the challenging and bouncy pitch. Attention will also be directed towards opening partner Usman Khawaja to determine whether he will wear shoes bearing messages of support for individuals in Gaza, a practice that has been cautioned against by ICC rules.

Australia's only change from the lineup in their previous Test against England at the Oval in July is the return of the now-fit spinner Nathan Lyon, who replaces Todd Murphy. Lyon, with 496 Test wickets, stands on the brink of becoming one of only eight Test bowlers to surpass the 500-wicket milestone. Expressing confidence, Cummins remarked, "We play pretty well here, have a good record. An Aussie ground with pace and bounce."

In contrast, Pakistan's new captain, Shan Masood, introduced two debutants into the side, adding pacemen Aamer Jamal and Khurram Shahzad to an attack led by Shaheen Shah Afridi. Notably, Pakistan lacks a specialist spinner. Historically, Pakistan has struggled in Test matches in Australia, enduring 14 consecutive losses, with their last victory dating back to 1995. Masood, addressing the toss outcome, commented, "We wanted to have a bat as well. You have to put the toss aside and put in a good bowling performance."