Australia’s record-breaking first innings
Various records were broken during Australia’s first innings against Pakistan.
The Aussies piled on 8/624 before declaring before lunch on Day 5 with a lead of 181.
Steve Smith top-scored with an unbeaten 165, with Mitch Starc adding an entertaining 84.
Smith’s Test average is now 60.63; he is the only batsman in Test history to have played 90 or more innings with an average of over 60.
Several other records were set during the innings, including:
- The highest score at the MCG (previously 604, set in 1937)
- Mitch Starc’s seven sixes are the most in an innings on the MCG
- Yasir Shah’s 3/207 was the most runs conceded by a Pakistani bowler against Australia
Starc fell just three runs short of breaking Australia’s highest score against Pakistan by a number eight.