Australia vs England delivered a fast and chaotic first day in the Ashes Test at Perth. 19 wickets fell, the most on an Ashes opening day since 1909. The pitch was quick but fair, and both teams struggled with the pace.
England batted first and were bowled out for 172 in 32.5 overs. Mitchell Starc was the main reason. He took 7-58, the best figures of his career and the best first-innings figures for an Australian in an Ashes opener. He removed Crawley, Duckett, Root, and Stokes with high pace and movement. Harry Brook scored 52, the top score of the day, but the rest of the lineup collapsed. The last five wickets fell for 12 runs.
England’s innings started with trouble immediately after winning the toss. Mitchell Starc struck with the sixth ball of the match to remove Zak Crawley. Ben Duckett was lbw for 21, Joe Root edged a 142.8 km/h delivery for Starc’s 100th Ashes wicket, and Stokes was bowled through the gates as Starc kept hitting perfect lengths. England were 39 for three when Harry Brook arrived, and he counterattacked with a fast fifty. They collapsed from 160 for six, losing their last four wickets in 17 balls.
Australia then struggled even more. Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson opened with extreme speed, and it took Australia 28 balls to score their first run. Archer trapped debutant Jake Weatherald lbw for a two-ball duck, and England’s average speed across the first 10 overs was 89.5 mph, their fastest Test attack since the ball-tracking began.
England used an all-pace attack with Archer, Wood, Carse, Atkinson, and Stokes. It became England’s fastest bowling lineup on record. Archer dismissed debutant Jake Weatherald for a duck. Carse removed Labuschagne and Smith. Stokes came late and caused major damage, taking 5-23. Green and Head tried to rebuild with a 45-run stand, but both fell to Stokes.
Australia ended the day on 123 for 9, trailing by 49 runs. Alex Carey was the only batter to reach the mid-20s. Brook’s aggressive batting and England’s extreme pace attack helped them fight back after Starc’s big spell. Both teams showed weak batting and strong fast bowling, hinting that this could be a low-scoring series.
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes created a rare Test record on Day 1 of the Australia vs England Ashes Test in Perth. They became the first pair of bowlers since Steve Harmison and Glenn McGrath in the 2005 Ashes at Lord’s to take five-wicket hauls on the opening day of a Test match.
Starc produced a career-best spell of 7/58, his 17th Test five-wicket haul. He crossed 100 Ashes wickets (now 104) and took his 5th five-for against England, helping Australia bowl England out for 172.
Stokes answered with a strong spell of 5/23 from just six overs, including one maiden. This was his 6th Test five-wicket haul, taking him to 235 Test wickets at 31.06. His spell reduced Australia to 123/9 by stumps.
The last time both teams had a bowler taking a five-for on Day 1 of a Test was in 2005, when Harmison took 5/43 and McGrath took 5/53 in the first Ashes Test at Lord’s.
A. The 2025 Ashes will be shown live on the Star Sports Network.
A. Australia has won more, with 34 series wins compared to England’s 32. Seven series ended in draws.
A. Yes. The Ashes is played every two years between England and Australia, with each country hosting alternately.
A. Don Bradman is considered the greatest, with 5,028 runs in Ashes matches.
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