Lyon's 500th wicket caps crushing victory for Aussies

On another of those days that professional scriptwriters might describe as being unrealistically fairytale, Australia stormed to a stunning Test win crowned by favourite son Nathan Lyon's long-awaited 500th wicket.

Lyon's milestone moment came around 4.15pm local time in Perth, in suitably modern circumstances given the lbw decision that triggered celebrations was initially refused by umpire Richard Illingworth on-field before being overturned on review.

"I was pretty confident about it, everyone said the height was okay the only issue was it might have been sliding down leg, but thankfully it was three reds" Lyon told Fox Sports in the aftermath of his memorabilia moment.

"500 wickets is pretty amazing, and to do it here and contribute to a pretty amazing team win makes it even better."

Despite beginning Pakistan's second innings with 499 scalps alongside his name, Lyon's hopes of securing the accolade in his first game back from a calf injury appeared to be dwindling as his fast-bowling teammates tore through their opponents' top-order to leave them 6-63 chasing 450 to win.

But in keeping with the theme of cascading wickets as Pakistan tumbled to the fourth-lowest fourth innings total at either Test venue in Perth, having waited more than 24 hours to get from 499 to 500, it took just four more deliveries to reach 501.

After they were skittled for 62 in the Western Australia capital 42 years ago, and 72 in 2004 (both of those at the WACA Ground), they were humbled for 89 in 30.2 overs on a pitch that provided challenges for batters but where Australia managed 5(dec)-233 earlier today.

The 360-run win also represents the second-biggest (in terms of runs) for Australia against Pakistan, headed only by the 491-run result in Perth 19 years ago.

Given the scale of the task on an increasingly erratic pitch, Pakistan were always at long odds to get close to their distant target but few foresaw the speed and totality of their implosion which was triggered by Australia's new-ball attack.

Pakistan might not have successfully chased more than 32 to win a Test in Australia, but their highest fourth innings score here was coincidentally 450 which they posted in falling 40 runs short of an improbable win at the Gabba in a day-night match seven years ago.

Any chance of the 2023 iteration of their team matching that effort on a vastly more problematic pitch were quashed within 15 overs of the innings getting underway as they crashed to 4-48.

The procession began in Mitchell Starc's opening over when he shaped a perfectly-pitched delivery into right-hander Abdullah Shafique who was drawn to play as it straightened marginally and flew chest-high to keeper Alex Carey.

The message that early strike sent to the tourists' dressing room was unmistakably foreboding, and it didn’t take long for abject panic to take root.

Captain Shan Masood's forgettable match ended with a whimper when, a ball after a languid play and miss against Josh Hazlewood, he repeated the failed stroke and presented Carey with a second catch.

First innings top scorer Imam-ul-Haq tried despairingly to have his lbw decision overturned on review, but the examination only confirmed the ball from Starc would have clipped the top of his leg stump.

And all hope was officially lost shortly before tea when their best batter and recently removed skipper Babar Azam pushed forward to a length ball from Cummins that bounced sufficiently to clip the batter's right thumb.

Babar was partly bemused by knowing there was nothing in his formidable batting armoury that might have countered such a potent weapon and in equal parts annoyed given his junior batting partner Saud Shakeel had declined a single at the start of the over that might have deferred his fate.

Shakeel's questionable running was also responsible for all-rounder Salman Ali Agha's demise, as Pakistan's innings descended into freefall.

Having knocked a ball from Starc towards square leg, Shakeel took several instinctive steps down the pitch before changing his mind by which time Salman was fully committed to the single.

By the time Travis Head's throw had landed in the hands of Marnus Labuschagne at the bowler's end and the stumps were duly broken, Salman remained a metre short of his crease in what proved a graphic representation of Pakistan's scrambled mindset.

At 6-63, with last specialist batter Sarfaraz Ahmed having fended a catch limply to gully, the only remaining points of conjecture were whether Pakistan's lower-order might survive into day five and if Lyon could collect his golden moment.

There were half-chances, including a couple of inside edges from Faheem Ashraf that flew tantalisingly close to leg slip and a speculative review for caught behind off the same batter that was shown to be misplaced.

But with the first ball of his next over, Lyon's decision – in close consultation with Carey – to review another unsuccessful shout brought history when he became the first Australia Test bowler to reach his 500th Test wicket on home soil.

Lyon's unique talent was perhaps best illustrated by the fact fast bowlers dominated throughout this Test and his rival finger spinner Salman failed to claim a wicket across 40 overs in two innings.

The challenges facing batters on a pitch, which had been specifically prepared in the hope it would undergo more natural deterioration than was the case in last year's bowler-unfriendly Test, became achingly obvious early on day four.

Within five runs of a half-century, Steve Smith was struck on the pad by a delivery from debutant Khurram Shahzad he was unflinchingly certain was sliding down leg side as well as bouncing over the stumps.

So sure was the former Australia captain he had called for a review before umpire Joel Wilson had fully extended his index finger, and was demonstrably aggrieved when the technology showed the seam of the ball grazing his leg bail.

As the bounce became more erratic, Travis Head took on his familiar role of aggressor as shown when he drove the second ball he faced imperiously down the ground for four.

But even the in-form World Cup hero found the going tough, playing and missing at deliveries that nipped away and surviving a scare when a Shaheen bouncer thudded into the bat left raised as Head ducked for cover, but landed safely after looping on to the leg side.

His fortune ran out soon after when the left-hander slapped a head-high catch to extra cover and despite holding an overall lead of 323, Australia were sitting a tad uncomfortably at 4-107 inside the day's opening hour.

If Pakistan held hopes of running through their rivals and chasing a target below 400, they were dashed by the familiar obstacles of Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh who combined for a decisive 126-run stand that formally put the game beyond the visitors' reach.

While Khawaja was watchful and stoic in enduring more than five hours in the most challenging conditions, Marsh remained true to his game and unfurled a series of thunderous shots even though they didn't come without inherent risk.

Twice in executing his trademark front-foot pull Marsh was struck on the batting helmet, once via a ball from Aamir Jamal that flew from back of a length and another from Khurram that deflected off a top edge.

Those blows were absorbed by the batter's protective equipment, while Khawaja copped a frightening hit flush on the right forearm that required extensive examination by the Australia team medical staff before the opener was cleared to continue his innings.

According to data collected at Australia Test venues in recent years, the average incidence of batters being struck on the upper body is around 10 times per match.

Come the start of Pakistan's second innings, 19 incidents had been tallied in this with every batter bar David Warner, who survived just five deliveries on Saturday afternoon, wearing at least one on their person as the ball jumped and deviated at speed off the fragmenting surface.

But the Australia pair refused to be cowed into submission, and heaped pressure back on to Pakistan who began to falter as shown when skipper Shan Masood turfed a straightforward chance at mid-off from Marsh when he was on 23.

In the wake of the lunch break, with the lead beyond 400 and a declaration looming, the contrasting pair shifted gear and piled on 47 runs from 32 balls with Khawaja eyeing a richly deserved 16th Test ton.

When the unflappable left-hander reached 90 with a deft hook to the fine leg fence off Shaheen it seemed the achievement was pre-destined, but an upper-cut to third man landed in the hands of Babar prompting Cummins to mitigate any further risk and set his bowlers loose.

NRMA Insurance Test series v Pakistan

First Test: Australia win by 360 runs

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (10.30am AEDT)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (10.30am AEDT)

Australia squad: (first Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi