The West Indies are not what they used to be but you can still see top performances so let's look at the day night test.

AUSTRALIA V WEST INDIES

Second Test

8 December - 12 December 2022 @ Adelaide Oval

BazBall may be running wild in the cricketing world but it seems it was BoredBall as far as the Perth sporting public was concerned out of last week's First Test.

And before those inclined to assigning catchy modern twitter phrases enjoy some time in the sun, this is not something new.

The Windies Test was the first one played in Perth for three years due to Covid/Covid restrictions. There would have been lucky to be 50,000 aggregate across the five days.

If you try comparing apples and apples – the Indian Test at the same venue in 2018 had well over 30,000 more fans. Non-England, non-holiday period games are never hugely attended.

Cricket Australia has many issues to deal with at present. Commercial and public relations are much publicised. But this aspect of the sport hits at its heart.

Getting attendees to the game provides so many more aspects to cricketing experience. And that isn't just those on that day.

The sounds of the game, the spirit of the participants, the worth to broadcasters of all persuasions and to the future generations - they are all critical.

There is little better ambiance at a sporting event than simply listening to the murmur of a cricketing crowd. In between balls or overs you sit with your family or friends and communicate about anything or everything. That hum is infectious.

All of that leads to an atmosphere which gets to a crescendo as big moments arrive. That could be a great fast bowler charging in at 150 clicks trying to knock an elite batsman's head off (colloquially). It could be debutant on 99 striving for some history and that elusive last run for a memorable hundred. Or it may just be Courtney Walsh charging into Craig McDermott with 2 to win, 1 wicket in hand and the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy on the line.

Young sports folks love to be part of it and even younger sports folks would love to be creating it in the future. In order to do that, Cricket Australia must do everything in its power to increase those who come along.

Surely the most obvious and contemporary method is pricing. We know that there is a premium for Ashes tickets. Over demand leads to an ability to charge higher prices in any form of business.

These days of struggling economic activity due to rising costs of living brings into the equation the price elasticity of demand. This is how consumers (the attending public) base their purchasing on increases or decreases in the costs of product (a day at the Test).

An 'elastic good' (in this case the price of a Test Cricket Day ticket) is one where a change in price leads to a significant alteration to its demand. This is especially so when there is a substitute for this good (that literally could be any current event - be it sport, leisure of lifestyle).

In summers like 2022/23 (a non England/India summer) why not reduce pricing significantly. Why not try and get more people to the game. Not only does that add to outside of the arena experience but also to the flow on effects of the incidentals like merchandising, food and beverages etc.

Isn't 20,000 at a day's play @ $50 a head better than 10,000 @ $100? Let all kids under 15 in with a gold coin donation to the McGrath Foundation. If a 10yo says to mum and dad, "Can we go to the cricket today – it will not cost anything?" That generates a fan for life.

A brief look at ticket sales websites shows how it mounts up. A family of 4 in the outer is over $200 plus the costs of getting to the event (petrol prices included), parking if required then food and drinks and you're likely to be well north of $400. That is tough for a family.

To use the old jingle not C'mon Aussie, C'mon, C'mon but C'mon Cricket Australia - come on!!!

Anyway off the soapbox and onto the cut square. There was a feeling of inevitability about the happenings at the new Perth Stadium last week.

Not that that wasn't the impression heading into the match but from the moment Marnus Labuschagne joined forces with Steve Smith, the path was set forth.

These two are not just batting clones, they are almost on a mission akin to Order 66 (one for the Star Wars fans out there). Their biochips get in sync and they destroy opposition.

And while Australian supporters would not believe they are galactic sympathisers, they certainly murder rivals with ruthlessness and efficiency.

They bat in the same manner, have the same mannerisms and the results are incredibly similar. Both made double centuries, their strike rate was reasonably close and neither are overly reliant on boundary beating.

Manoeuvrability of the field, taking the extra single and placement are far more their game than laying back and slapping one over backward point or lofting a cover drive. This flies in the face of other international contemporaries.

Labuschagne joined an elite crew in history to score two hundreds with one of them doubled up. Doug Walters and Greg Chappell his countrymen alongside Lara, Rowe, Gavaskar, Gooch and Sangakkara an impressive group.

Smith's contribution was just the norm. While he did have a bit of a dry hundred spell for a full 18 months, he kept telling the world he was back. It was a bit like the self-determination in the mental disintegration of the Steve Waugh era. We are saying we are going to win – ergo it happened.

He definitely was driving the ball with more conviction and frequency through cover. The on-side had become his 'happy place'. Bowlers were now either bowling fifth stump lines or short and making his job that much harder.

You can bet come the Christmas period, South Africa, with their elite bowling attack, will be bowling leg cutters and short pitchers with much more regularity.

It was that weakness in the Windies bowling that led to a batting domination. But to their credit they took away positives.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite had a great match double. He spent 563 minutes at the crease defying the vaunted attack albeit minus Pat Cummins for much of it.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul looked so much like dad it isn't funny. Shivnarine was a fantastic test player and his son builds his own narrative now. Shiv's two-eyed stance became a fascination when he last wore the maroon cap at the end of his career. Tagenarine said it worked for dad so why not me. He showed grit via two good efforts.

The lower order didn't toss it in completely either. With Nathan Lyon trying to run through them, they played with stoutness. It wasn't just slogging even though a few disappeared into the West Coast Eagles cheer squad.

Going forward, how much do you take from all this? With his injury concerns, Cummins surely won't play with South Africa coming (subsequently withdrawn from the game). That is the big moment of the summer and as last year showed, Smith can do the job as a one off and a conscripted paceman will be fine as well.

David Warner needs to do something soon or the wolves will be at the door. Selectors will be watching all five tests. England is not his domain and that will be their selectorial focus.

There are openers making runs and Matthew Renshaw is making enough for him to be the likely frontrunner.

Warner needs a score. It is very similar to Matthew Hayden's finale. There were bits and pieces in his last summer but nothing of consequence. He ended against South Africa in 2009 in Sydney and you could see a similar happening for another huge contributor.

Adelaide Day-Night tests are now the staple. Australia play very well there too as one might expect. The bowlers love the conditions. And guess what – it was Labuschagne and Smith who scored the runs against England.

It is hardly overtly weird to suggest Steve Smith will score runs anywhere again and he's convinced himself he will make runs (and he's shown it too). Take the run markets on him.

Smith may not be exhilarating like the Bazballing coming out of England and being exhibited at Rawalpindi but in any circumstances, his team will take his own version.

Smith is not the Sith Lord either but when he dictates that all should follow, the minions do so.