Quick Singles: The GOAT’s all-time prank, Steve Smith’s souvenir and is there a new Mr Cricket?

Nathan Lyon grabbed two wickets as Australia rolled Pakistan at the Gabba – but his biggest victim came off the field. Plus, Steve Smith jags a souvenir from his first Test shocker, and is there a new Mr Cricket?

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Fox Cricket commentator Michael Vaughan received an unexpected gift from the GOAT on Sunday afternoon.

As Vaughan posed for pictures and selfies with the crowd, Nathan Lyon sneakily ducked behind him armed with a marker pen and blessed the English great with a signature – directly onto his suit.

It’s probably cheaper than the old “wrong marker pen on the wrong camera” disaster that sometimes rocks non-tennis matches.

WATCH THE CLASSIC PRANK IN THE PLAYER ABOVE!

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Nathan Lyon (L) loves a good stitch up. Picture: AAP

IS MARNUS THE REAL MR CRICKET?

Marnus Labuschagne underlined his place and the cricket nuffy’s cricket nuffy a few short hours after his mammoth stay at the crease had concluded.

Labuschagne secured his first Test century on his home deck and laid out a compelling case to be even more obsessive about the game that even Steve Smith.

Is Marnus Labuschagne Australia’s biggest cricket nuffy? Picture: Getty

A few corporate guests were invited in to the post match press conference and when one of them approached Labuschagne afterwards to congratulate him, the first words out of the new No.3’s mouth were “how are Redlands going today?”.

Few Test batsmen would have the fortunes of a local club cricket side front and centre in their thoughts after a career defining performance.

But that’s Marnus. Please, don’t ever change.

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SMITH SNAGS SOUVENIR FOR MARNUS

Amid the fervour of an innings win in his return to Test cricket on home soil, Steve Smith was still thinking about others – chiefly Marnus Labuschagne.

The 25-year-old Queenslander was rightly named man of the match following his maiden Test ton – a brilliant 185 – and Smith took notice, giving Labuschagne his own little memento following the win.

Steve Smith hands over a souvenir to his mate Marnus #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/kzshtwKHpS

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 24, 2019

While everyone else was running around shaking hands and celebrating, Smith trudged back to the wicket, plucked out a stump and presented it to Labuschagne to commemorate his maiden Test ton.

Another brilliant gesture from Smith and there isn’t a more deserving recipient.

WASH YOUR MOUTH OUT

On a quiet opening to day four the chatter on the field was audible to everyone in the ground. And they heard the Australians zero in on a seemingly in-vogue topic of banter: personal hygiene.

Earlier in the match Tim Paine tried to get under his opponent’s skin by telling Marnus Labuschagne that Mohammad Rizwan “smells nice.”

Centurion David Warner, however, was far less complimentary at the dog end of the match. Though again deploying Labuschagne as his foil.

“What did you just say Marnus? Colgate?” said Warner. “Did you say Colgate? What are you implying? Has (Shan Masood) got bad breath, has he?”

Warner himself apologised to the TV interviewer for his ‘BO’ when he came off at the end of a full day’s batting, so perhaps knows about what he speaks

CROWD CONTROL

Cricket Australia will be bracing for a lean summer if the First Test’s crowds are anything to go by.

The Gabba attracted just 45,891 people across four days with a high of 13,836 on Day 3 and Day 4’s paltry 4,825 was disappointing given the quality of cricket on show.

Further, the figures show a 20,000+ drop on the 2016 day-night clash between Australia and Pakistan at the Gabba which attracted 66,325 across the first three days.

Empty seats at the Gabba marred Australia’s first Test victory. Picture: AAP

Early predictions are that crowds may also be down in Adelaide despite it being a day-night fixture and that comes back to opposition.

Pakistan are just not the big-ticket item required to draw bumper crowds and while day-night makes a difference, CA must consider its long-term planning if they’re to avoid low crowds again.

The trump card may be New Zealand’s three-game tour – the Black Caps are flying against England and could draw bigger-than-anticipated numbers with home success over the next two weeks.

GABBATOIR RECORD STANDS

It’s incredible to think how much of a fortress Brisbane has become for the Australian men. Sunday’s win stretched Australia’s unbeaten record at the Gabba to 31 consecutive matches dating all the way back to 1989. Only Pakistan boasts a better record anywhere in the world – a stunning 34-match streak in Karachi from 1955 to 2000 – though it’s short odds the Gabba will best that some day soon.