AUS vs ENG 1st Test: Mitchell Starc produced a spell for the ages as Australia blew England away for just 172 on an electric opening day of the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium. The left-arm spearhead
was irresistible from ball one, delivering a career-best 7 for 58 and completely dictating the tone of the series from the outset.
England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss under clear skies and confidently chose to bat, but the decision unravelled almost immediately. Starc, playing his 101st Test, wasted no time making an impact. In the very first over, he angled a full delivery across Zak Crawley, who only managed to edge it to Usman Khawaja at slip.
It was the 24th occasion Starc had struck in the first over of an innings-yet another reminder of how destructive he can be with a brand-new ball in hand.
Joe Root, England's most reliable batter in Ashes battles, lasted just a handful of deliveries before falling for a duck, undone by Starc's pace and movement. That wicket capped a blistering opening burst in which the Australian quick removed three of England's top order, leaving the visitors scrambling for stability.
Harry Brook (52) and Ollie Pope (46) tried to steady the ship with determined knocks that briefly slowed Australia's momentum. But the resistance evaporated soon after lunch when debutant Brendan Doggett, showing remarkable control on his first day in Test cricket, dismissed Brook and tilted the contest firmly back in Australia's favour. He finished with an impressive 2 for 27.
From there, England's innings unraveled at breakneck speed. Their 172 came in just 197 balls-making it one of the shortest first-innings efforts ever recorded in an Ashes Test in Australia. Not since the 19th and early 20th centuries has an opening innings ended so swiftly on Australian soil.
Starc's final figures not only eclipsed his previous personal bests but also set a new benchmark for bowling performances at Perth Stadium. He is now only the second Australian this century to claim seven wickets at home in an Ashes Test, and the first since Craig McDermott in 1990-91 to bag seven on day one.
A ground known for rewarding teams batting first offered no such favour to England-only more evidence of Starc's dominance on a memorable Ashes opening day.
