The imminent first of the two Australia-West Indies Test matches will witness these teams clashing against each other in the ancestral format for the first time since 2016. Co-incidentally, 2016 was also the last time when Perth had hosted the first Test of an Australian international summer.
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Albeit at a different venue but the largest Western Australian city is once again under the spotlight right before the first Test match of an Australian summer. Having not hosted a Test match in almost three years due to various reasons, Perth Stadium is all in readiness of doing the same for the third time in its brief history.
Having won both the previous Test matches here, Australia would be eager to extend their winning streak against a comparatively inexperienced West Indian squad. Furthermore, with the visitors not winning a Test match in Australia since 1997 (also in Perth), one doesn’t have many options than to consider the home team as the favourites for this series.
Perth Test records
Highest Test run-scorers at the Perth Stadium are Marnus Labuschagne (193), Virat Kohli (140), Travis Head (138), Tim Paine (114) and Ross Taylor (102). Set to play tomorrow, Australia trio comprising of Usman Khawaja (77), David Warner (62) and Steven Smith (59) have all scored more than 50 runs in their only Test appearance here.
Highest Test wicket-takers at the Optus Stadium are Nathan Lyon (14), Mitchell Starc (14), Tim Southee (9), Neil Wagner (7), Mohammed Shami (6), Pat Cummins (6), Ishant Sharma (5), Josh Hazlewood (5) and Jasprit Bumrah (5).
Great to see the great man Brian Lara join us in the nets at the Perth Stadium. #AUSvWI #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/mwRBikN8sP
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) November 29, 2022
With West Indies never playing a Test match at this stadium, none of their players are among the aforementioned top performers.
Highest Test innings totals at Optus Stadium
Out of eight innings across a couple of Test matches at this stadium, 500-run mark is yet to be touched by any team. With 79 wickets falling across these innings, it shouldn’t be difficult to guess why even the 300-run mark has been crossed only twice here.
Highest innings total in Test matches played at the Optus Stadium are 416 in 146.2 overs by Australia (vs New Zealand) and 326 in 108.3 overs by Australia (vs India). Since both Tests at this stadium have been won by the team batting first, the concept of highest successful Test run-chase is yet to be introduced to this venue.
