Australia vs England Test: England Collapse Early

Australia vs England Test: On the opening day of the Ashes 1st Test in Perth, there was drama from the very first ball that lived up to the hype. Australia’s Mitchell Starc ripped through England’s top order with a remarkable spell of fast bowling to a get a comfortable start to the highly anticipated first match of the series.

Starc Takes Control in the Morning Session

Mitchell Starc wasted no time in making his presence felt. Before anyone could even settle in at the game, he dismissed Zak Crawley for a first-ball duck to set the tone for what was to become a relentless display of pace, swing and control. In an extraordinary early spell, Starc sent England into reverse with three quick wickets including a massive breakthrough of Joe Root for a first-ball duck.

By lunch, England had staggered to 105 for 4 wickets which was a fragile total, fully reflecting the dominance of the Australian bowling attack. Cameron Green cashed in on Englands misfortune when he dismissed Ollie Pope, the only English batter to show some gumption with an unconvincing 46.

This explosive opening from Starc has already made his mark on the sports news headlines today from around the world.

England’s Bold Decision to Bat First

Ben Stokes surprised many when he chose to bat first on a pitch known for its bounce, movement, and initial assistance to the pace bowlers. As Perth Stadium hosted its first-ever Ashes Test, conditions were guaranteed to be difficult.

England arrived with a clear plan – to utilise an all-pace attack to make the most of the lively pitch. However, it has been a bad decision to bat first as Australia’s pace attack – with Mitchell Starc leading it having chosen to bat him based on his experience – has used every drop of moisture in the pitch.

Starting XIs – Significant Decisions & Amazing Debuts

Australia came with a completely new XI – missing pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
With Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood out, Mitchell Starc was appointed and led a slightly changed bowling unit featuring Scott Boland and first-gamer Brendan Doggett.

Another first-gamer, Jake Weatherald, opened the innings with Usman Khawaja, while Steven Smith led the victorious team following the revived discussion around ‘sandpapergate.’

Australia’s starting XI: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Brendan Doggett, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

Prior to naming the final eleven, England announced a 12-player team, with discussions happening as whether to employ off-spinner Shoaib Bashir or go with a full seam bowler assault. Their batting lineup stayed predictable however, with Pope, Root, Brook, and Stokes making a solid middle order.

England’s Starting XI

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood

What to Anticipate in Perth

Perth Stadium has hosted only five Test matches in the past seven years, with Australia winning (all decisively) 4 out of 5. Historically, teams batting first at this venue have fared well. It is also worth considering that while England prefer to chase, the current state and statistics of the recent past suggest it is best to bat first, making Stokes’ decision reasonable but also a gamble.

When England comes out after lunch, they will want to reconvene, consolidate their innings and set a good score. When Australia comes out to bat, they would want to maintain that edge and start establishing or even retaining control of the game.

Day 1 Key Highlights

At lunch England are 105/4 (Pope 46, Brook 28*, Starc 3/23).

Starc dismissed Crawley and Root with ease, removing the core of England’s top order. Cameron Green got the wicket of Pope, which made England’s early pains a little bit worse.

Australia’s fast bowlers took full advantage of the that excellent bouncing pitch.

In a strong Ashes start, the focus is on England’s response and whether Australia will hold onto their strong start above what should be an exciting series.