England ended day one of the third Ashes Test at the WACA in a dominant position as the visitors racked up 305-4 after batting first.
The tourists have Dawid Malan to thank after the 30-year-old hit an unbeaten 110 batting in the number five position.
The Middlesex man understandably took all the plaudits from the opening day and he is our Ashes Player of the Day.
Here, we look at the key talking points of Malan’s performance on Thursday.
MAIDEN TEST TON
The left-handed batsman made his debut for England in July this year during the Test series against South Africa. He didn’t have a particularly good time in that series and it was only in the subsequent series against the West Indies that he really caught the eye with two fifties.
His innings on Thursday was the 13th of his Test career and Malan notched up his maiden ton when England perhaps needed it the most. He came in to bat at 131-4 and along with Jonny Bairstow ensured that England did not lose another wicket throughout the day.
FIRST ENGLAND TON IN SERIES
Malan’s unbeaten 110 was the first century scored by an Englishman in the ongoing Ashes series. That it has taken three Tests and five innings for England to get their first ton might very well be why they trail 2-0 so far but for Malan to do it in his debut Ashes series in a hostile atmosphere is pretty commendable.
Malan’s ton is the first by any English batsman in the series.
HIGHEST RUN-SCORER IN SERIES
Thursday’s knock also put Malan above Shaun Marsh as the top run-scorer from both sides in the series so far. The Englishman now has 218 runs to his credit, ahead of Marsh who has 196.
England have played an innings more than the opposition but to be the highest run-scorer in the series when many had questioned his place in the squad before the start of the tour is a remarkable job by Malan.
MALAN EMULATES STOKES
Malan’s ton at the WACA was the first by an Englishman down under ever since Ben Stokes’ 120 at the same venue in the 2013 series. Like Malan’s, Stokes’ century at the time was also the first of his Test career.
Stokes had hit his maiden Test ton in 2013 at the WACA.
MALAN GETS EMOTIONAL
A man with South African roots like Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott, Malan comes from a family entrenched in cricket.
His father, Dawid Malan Sr. was an all-rounder who batted in the middle-order and bowled medium pace in South Africa’s domestic cricket structure. Unlike Pietersen and Trott, Malan was born in England though he started his professional career with Bolan in South Africa before joining Middlesex in 2006.
His brother Charl has also played first-class cricket, representing Loughborough UCCE in 2009-10.
Malan’s parents were present at the WACA as he brought up his maiden ton and the Englishman couldn’t help but get emotional.
“I almost started crying. To do it in front of them, the amount of sacrifices my old man and mother have made to get me here, is great. To repay them for all the time they’ve given me,” he said at the end of the day.
