David Warner, Mitchell Starc guide Australia to commanding day one lead

DAVID Warner continued his love affair with the WACA, backing up Australia’s strong bowling performance with a brutal half century on day one of the first Test.

David Warner was at his brutal best.

THERE is still no place like home for the Australian cricket team, as a fired-up fast bowling attack and a ruthless David Warner delivered a potential knock-out blow to South Africa at the WACA.

Test series are so often shaped by what happens on day one, and in the face of a soft preparation and a batsman’s pitch, Mitchell Starc with four wickets and Josh Hazlewood three, rallied against the odds to inspire an Australian side out to avenge for a horror year on the road.

South Africa showed they were up for the fight as Quinton de Kock (84) lifted his side from the carnage of what was the third worst start ever by a batting team at the WACA at 4-32 to a competitive total of 242.

But Australia’s all-out assault wasn’t done with yet.

Vice-captain Warner exploded out of the blocks like he’s done so many times before in Perth to bat his side into a position of absolute power, Australia 0-105 at stumps in just 21 overs and only 137 runs in arrears with ominous cracks starting to open up on the WACA pitch for later in the game.

David Warner was at his brutal best.

Warner is 73 not out off just 62 balls, and with 13 boundaries and a six already to his name, the opener is bound for a record fourth Perth century with Shaun Marsh (29) also up for a big one at home.

Australian cricket plummeted to an alarming low on the winter tour of Sri Lanka, with horrendous batting and fielding and a lack of spirit and teamwork raising fears that captain Steve Smith may have a looming crisis on his hands.

But some of those doubts were lifted as a rejuvenated team with a point to prove responded to the pressure hanging over them in emphatic style.

LISTEN: Crash Craddock and Ben Horne review all the day one action from the WACA

“You couldn’t have asked for much more on the first day of the summer to bowl South Africa out with a pretty experienced line-up and then finish the day 0-100,” said Starc, licking his lips at the prospect of cracks to bowl at in the second innings if the weather stays hot.

“The way (Warner) changed the game for us with a flourish of runs that’s what he does so well for us.

“There were a few nerves floating around the change room at start of the day but it’s always exciting playing at home and the way we finished the day we couldn’t have asked for anything better. It’s always nice coming back home and starting a summer of cricket.”

Starc celebrates taking the crucial wicket of Faf du Plessis.

Starc cast injury concerns aside as he roared immediately into action and sent South African opener Stephen Cook packing without scoring in the very first over on his way to match-best figures of 4-71.

Mitchell Marsh’s brilliant diving catch at gully was just as uplifting as the sight of Starc charging in, as Australia straight away assumed the aggressive and authoritative upper-hand captain Smith had demanded.

“I’m still trying to get some of that rhythm and smoothness back but to get through 18 and a half overs for the day it felt good,” Starc said.

“I felt in a good place, my speeds were reading OK as well, so personally I’m just happy with the role that I played and I think we did bowl really well in partnerships for a long time.”

Hazlewood (3-70) backed Starc up superbly to produce the ball of the day a short time later to get rid of South African danger man Hashim Amla (0) – key to the Proteas back-to-back series wins down under in 2008 and ’12 – and leave the visitors on their knees at 2-5.

The always reliable Hazlewood struck again to dismiss Dean Elgar and when an underdone Peter Siddle injected himself into the attack to nick off JP Duminy, South Africa were the ones in crisis – a hole of 4-32 the third worst start by a batting team at the WACA, and this by a side that had happily won the toss.

It had been a terrible preparation for Australia with Starc (leg wound) and Siddle (back) so short on match practice and Smith admitted he too would have chosen to bat had the coin fallen his way.

But the statement Australia had made by lunch was as hard-nosed as it gets. Through self-belief and pin-point execution as well as some long overdue bounce and carry from the WACA deck, the Australian bowling attack made it a good toss to lose.

Just as Starc was showing signs of tiring he kept on coming for a four-wicket haul that included the prized wicket of Proteas captain Faf du Plessis (37) just after lunch.

Shaun Marsh survived a tough final session.

Next year’s big tour of India still remains a considerable headache for Australia, but yesterday the ship was steadied and Smith will know there is nothing more infectious for a team than winning.

South Africa’s bowling attack is all class and there are plenty of twists and turns to come until this match is over. But Australia yesterday laid down a marker that the tourists – who don’t know the meaning of defeat on these shores – will find it difficult to come back from.

Although when they clinched the series in Perth back in 2012, a first innings total of just 225 proved enough of a platform for a decisive victory.

Australia put down two very tough chances through Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon and missed a run-out, but overall their energy in the field was a major improvement on the lacklustre efforts in Sri Lanka.

Smith and Adam Voges caught well in slips, Peter Nevill was unbeatable with the gloves and Shaun Marsh dived low for a scintillating grab to get rid of South Africa’s plucky middle-order mighty mouse Temba Bavuma (51) off the bowling of Lyon.