It took only one delivery of the second session for the message to be received, loud and clear.
After four sessions cast in a supporting role to Australia’s many main characters, Pakistan burst onto centre stage, into the spotlight and started telling its own story.
To that point, the morning had belonged to Mitchell Marsh and his blazing blade. The hometown hero had belted his way into the 90s by the lunch break, and the script for the rest of the afternoon had been firmly established — a popular and breezy century for Marsh, followed by another hour or so at least of hearty tonking and general Australian merriment.
But when Khurram Shahzad beat the inside edge and clattered Marsh’s stumps straight up after the break, there was almost confusion in the crowd.
The groan from the spattering of fans in Perth Stadium told of their disappointment, but it had something else in it too. Something akin to a collective “what the hell?”, irritation mixed with surprise.
In between shakes of the head, Marsh himself couldn’t help but smile, taken aback by the plot twist.
It was the starting point of a session in which the touring Pakistanis firmly told their Australian opponents that they had no intention of laying down and surrendering. With bat and ball, they were ready to fight.
Debutant Aamer Jamal had leaked runs on the opening day but found his range on the second, producing two spectacular deliveries to clip the off bails of Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc.
Almost unnoticed, Jamal suddenly had six wickets in his first Test innings. He threw himself into his celebration with the same gusto he bowls with, his action all arms and back and gumption.
Jamal found the life in the drop-in wicket and picked off Australia’s lower order. A score that had threatened to break containment had suddenly been kept to under 500.
Australia would naturally have been content with a first-innings 487, and yet it still represented a missed opportunity.
Had any other Australians batted with the steely determination of David Warner, a game-breaking total was on offer. Wickets fell across both days with a casual regularity, brought upon both by patient and probing bowling but often by lackadaisical batting.
Perhaps the Aussies had read that pre-prepared script too. Maybe they had also skipped ahead to the second act, which was supposed to see their reunited Big Four bowling attack blow Pakistan’s top order away on a bouncy wicket.
Once again though, Pakistan decided not to play ball.
Before their arrival there was an acceptance Pakistan would be a batting team, with its comparatively experienced and battle-hardened top order existing in direct contrast to the raw, untapped enthusiasm of the bowling attack.
These are proper Test cricketers. Abdullah Shafique. Imam ul-Haq. Shan Masood and the brilliant Babar Azam behind them. Newcomer Saud Shakeel has been a revelation in his first seven Tests.
Their challenge would be adjusting to the Australian conditions, and on the evidence of 53 overs on day two, it is one they are up for.
Cricket purists will have been salivating with the quality of Shafique and Imam’s leaving. Their defence was compact and deliberate, their focus unbroken.
You could offer very few criticisms of Australia’s bowling efforts either, sans a few wayward Starc overs. Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were typically metronomic, and yet even they couldn’t find a way through.
It made for fantastic cricket to watch. A battle of tactics and concentration that is increasingly hard to find these days, even in the longer forms of the game.
The gritty batting meant Australia struggled to find any breakthroughs or momentum, but the top-class bowling meant Pakistan’s run rate was heavily restricted and the hosts’ lead remained healthy.
The temperature changed when Australia finally found a breakthrough, Shafique becoming Nathan Lyon’s 497th Test wicket in the 37th over.
Skipper Masood arrived at the crease like a bolt of lightning and immediately sought to turn Pakistan’s stoicism into style. It proved contagious, as Imam began to play a few more adventurous shots as well.
Even though Masood was unable to see the job through to stumps, this was a successful day for Pakistan. They may still be behind the eight ball in the game, but importantly the underdogs proved they are going to stand for something.
For a team that has been so devoid of Test cricket this year, it was a mighty impressive display. So many touring teams spook themselves out of series before they’ve even started, but there was a quiet confidence in Pakistan on day two in Perth.
Australia’s standards won’t drop throughout this Test or series, so it’s up to Pakistan to prove they have the staying power to turn one good day into a good Test.
They have the power to make this a series of intrigue, rather than a waypoint on the road to something more prestigious for Australia.
For that reason, every Aussie should be quietly cheering just a little bit for Pakistan.
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