Starc's Opening Spell Decimates England Top Order
Mitchell Starc has produced another breathtaking start to an Ashes series, striking within the first over to immediately put England on the back foot at Perth's Optus Stadium. In a chilling echo of his iconic first-ball dismissal of Rory Burns at the Gabba four years ago, Australia's left-arm spearhead removed Zak Crawley for a duck in the opening over of this highly anticipated series.
The damage didn't stop there for the tourists. Starc continued his rampage by claiming the wicket of Ben Duckett for 21 runs, before delivering the crucial blow that saw star batter Joe Root depart without scoring. England limped into the lunch break at 4-105 after Ben Stokes made the surprising decision to bat first upon winning the toss.
Post-Lunch Carnage Sees Stokes Fall
The situation deteriorated further for England after the interval. Stokes himself fell victim to Starc in the paceman's first over after lunch, clean-bowled by an absolute peach of a delivery for just six runs. The England captain could only watch helplessly as his stumps were skittled, leaving his team in deep trouble at 5-105.
Starc wasn't finished there, adding the scalp of Gus Atkinson to complete his five-wicket haul and cement his status as England's chief destroyer. The left-armer's remarkable figures highlighted his dominance on a pitch that offered plenty of assistance to the bowlers.
Brief Resistance Fades as Reviews Vanish
There were moments of resistance for England, particularly through the partnership of Ollie Pope and the aggressive Harry Brook. Coming together at a precarious 3-39, they managed to steady the innings temporarily before Cameron Green struck a crucial blow.
After being hit for 10 runs in his first over, Green trapped Pope lbw with the final delivery for 46 runs. Making matters worse for England was the fact that Pope and Duckett had burned two of their three reviews earlier in the day, leaving them with limited options to challenge questionable decisions.
Brendan Doggett then claimed his first Test wicket when his short-pitched delivery found the edge of Brook's bat, leaving the tourists reeling at 6-161. Brook had been a rock for England, playing with both poise and aggression while his teammates fell around him, making the first half-century of the Ashes series.
Historic Milestones and Record Crowd
The opening day witnessed several significant milestones, with a Perth-record crowd of 43,591 spectators already in the stadium to witness Starc's first-over breakthrough. This marked the 24th time the Australian quick has claimed a wicket in the first over of a Test match.
Starc's dismissal of Root in the slips took him to 100 Ashes dismissals and 405 in his career, cementing his place among Australia's bowling greats. Former Australia spinner Kerry O'Keeffe captured the moment perfectly on Fox Cricket, stating: "This guy is a bowler of the ages and we've taken him for granted for so long."
With captain Pat Cummins and fellow injured quick Josh Hazlewood absent, Starc emerged as the clear leader of Australia's pace attack, demonstrating why he remains one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket.
Debutants Make History
The match also marked a historic occasion for Australian cricket, with quick Brendan Doggett and aggressive opener Jake Weatherald making their international debuts. This represented the first time Australia have blooded two debutants in the same Test since January 2019.
Doggett became Australia's 472nd Test cricketer and was presented with his baggy green by fellow late bloomer Scott Boland and former star quick Jason Gillespie. Boland and Doggett created history as the only two Indigenous players to be in the same Australian Test team, with Doggett becoming just the third First Nations man to play Tests for Australia after Boland and Gillespie.
The 31-year-old Doggett enjoyed an encouraging first session of his Test career, going to lunch with figures of 0-17 from his five overs. Weatherald, who grew up in Darwin before emerging as a domestic cricketer in South Australia, was handed his first cap by former Australia champion David Warner and represents Usman Khawaja's sixth opening partner since Warner retired from Test cricket in January 2024.
England's Selection Gambles
England's team selection raised eyebrows before the match, with the visitors confirming they had left out spinner Shoaib Bashir in preference for express quicks Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. Two of the quicker bowlers in the world, Wood and Archer have never played together against Australia in the same Test.
They will partner Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse in the attack, with Stokes also expected to contribute with pace bowling. England will be hoping their quicks can emulate Starc's success on a Perth pitch that has clearly helped the bowlers on the opening day.
As the day concluded, Australia held all the cards, with England facing an uphill battle to post a competitive first innings total. Starc's devastating spell has set the tone for what promises to be another compelling chapter in cricket's oldest rivalry.
