The second day of the Ashes Test in Perth delivered another breath-taking spectacle of cricket, with England's position of dominance dramatically unravelling in a stunning afternoon collapse that left the match finely poised.
England's Morning Promise Fades
England began the day strongly, swiftly wrapping up Australia's first innings for 132. The tourists, holding a 40-run lead, looked to be building a formidable position as openers Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope navigated the early overs. However, the dismissal of Zak Crawley for a duck in the first over, once again to the dangerous Mitchell Starc, foreshadowed the turmoil to come.
Zak Crawley's Unwanted Ashes Record
The early departure of Crawley cemented an unfortunate piece of personal and Test match history. It was his second duck of the match, making him just the fourth English opener ever to be dismissed for a duck in both innings of an Ashes Test, joining a list that includes Trevor Bailey (1959) and Michael Atherton (1998). Furthermore, this dismissal meant that for the first time in Test history, a team found itself at 0-1 in the first over of the first three innings of a match, with Crawley accounting for two of those failures.
The Dramatic Lunchtime Collapse
From a seemingly comfortable position of 65 for 1, England's innings spectacularly imploded either side of the lunch break. Scott Boland was the chief architect, ripping through the middle order with three wickets in just 11 deliveries. The procession saw Pope (28), Duckett (33), Joe Root (8), Ben Stokes, and Harry Brook (0) all return to the pavilion in quick succession.
While the aggressive 'Bazball' philosophy has brought England much success, this collapse highlighted moments where greater composure was needed. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 164, losing nine wickets in a single session, with Mitchell Starc finishing with ten wickets in the match.
Controversy and Injury Concerns
The drama was not confined to the wickets. A controversial DRS review led to the dismissal of England's Jamie Smith, sparking loud boos from the travelling Barmy Army, who chanted 'Same old Aussies, always cheating'. Former England captain Michael Vaughan questioned the lengthy review process on BBC Radio 5.
Injury worries also persisted for Australia, with opener Usman Khawaja again forced from the field due to back spasms, casting doubt on his availability for the second innings. For England, a pre-match football warm-up gave fans a scare when Joe Root went down holding his ankle, though he was able to continue.
Thanks to vital lower-order contributions from Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson, England secured a narrow lead, setting up a tantalising third day as Australia prepare to bat again, chasing a victory target to take the early initiative in the series.
