The highly anticipated Ashes series exploded into life on a dramatic first morning in Perth, as Australia's Mitchell Starc produced a devastating opening spell to leave England reeling at 105 for four.
Starc's Fiery Opening Spell
After England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first on a green-tinged pitch, the decision backfired almost immediately. With just six balls bowled, Mitchell Starc found the edge of Zak Crawley's bat, sending the opener back to the pavilion for a duck. This echoed Starc's heroics from the previous Ashes series down under, where he famously bowled Rory Burns with the very first delivery.
Starc, leading the attack in the absence of the injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, was relentless. He soon added the wicket of Ben Duckett, trapping him lbw for 21 with a full, seaming delivery. This brought the under-pressure Joe Root to the crease, but the former skipper could only add to England's woes. After a lucky escape from a run-out chance, Root edged another menacing delivery from Starc to third slip, departing for a second golden duck and leaving England in deep trouble at 39 for three inside the first nine overs.
Pope's Resistance and Brook's Aggression
Amid the carnage, Ollie Pope provided a beacon of hope for the tourists. He displayed admirable calm and composure to navigate the high-pressure situation, steadily building his innings to a solid 46. At the other end, Harry Brook adopted a completely different approach, swinging wildly from the moment he arrived at the crease.
Brook survived a scare off just his second ball but continued to play his aggressive strokes. The promising partnership was cut short at 55 runs when Pope overbalanced and was adjudged lbw to Cameron Green in the bowler's first over. This left Brook and Stokes at the crease at the lunch interval, with a significant rebuilding job ahead.
Session Summary and Outlook
While Starc was the undeniable star for Australia, the supporting cast had mixed reviews. Debutant Brendan Doggett delivered a creditable first spell, but veteran seamer Scott Boland proved expensive, conceding 39 runs from his seven overs.
The first session has firmly handed the early momentum to the Australian side, setting up a tantalising contest as the match progresses. The pressure is now squarely on England's middle and lower order to stage a fightback.
