The Ashes: Dream start for Australia as Mitchell Starc rolls Bazball for 172 with seven wickets

Australia needed nothing less from their lethal left-armer.

Mitchell Starc’s seven-wicket haul — his 18th five-for in Test cricket and his best ever figures — have wiped England off the park on the first day of the most highly-anticipated Ashes series in history.

Australia are 1-15 at the tea break after the visitors — having largely reigned in their infamous cavalier BazBall style until late in their innings — left reeling and all out for 172.

In a bizarre wrinkle, Marnus Labuschagne will open the batting for Australia because Usman Khawaja spent too much time off the field at the end of their bowling innings. Khawaja is required to spend the same amount of time on the field as he did off to be allowed to return to open.

Australia were then forced to wear a brutal opening spell by long-time nemesis Jofra Archer. Debutant opener Jake Weatherald was left tripping over Archer’s rapid-quick second ball and on review, replays showed it was crashing into his stumps.

The high-drama of Archer’s clash with Steve Smith at Lord’s five years ago was renewed when the Aussie stand-in captain marched out at No.3, covering for Khawaja. He and Labuschagne faced 27 dot balls before Smith got his side off the mark. He is on seven at the break, in partnership with Marnus Labuschagne, who is on six.

Mark Wood fired up in the middle session, pushing the speed gun beyond 151km/h.

A counterpunch, first from Ollie Pope and then Harry Brook and a run-rate of well above five-an-over kept England in the game. It’s worth remembering 17 wickets fell on the opening day of the Perth Test last year.

Starc took 7-58 from 12.5 overs and had his hands on the wheel of a bowling attack that doesn’t include injured captain Pat Cummins or fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood.

The 35-year-old spearhead continued his remarkable streak of first-over wickets, delivering a wicket-maiden to start the series that claimed the wicket of Zak Crawley, lured in to driving on the up. It’s a shot visiting sides are lectured against in Perth.

Ben Duckett missed a straight and full ball and was out lbw, then Starc claimed the wicket of Joe Root.

The spotlight has burned brightest on the former England captain before a match he hoped would break a wretched run of form in Perth. He fell for a seven-ball duck, caught at third slip by Marnus Labuschagne. His pursuit of a maiden Test ton in Australia hasn’t started well.

The jewel in Starc’s crown was a ball just after lunch that swung back through the gate of captain Ben Stokes. It was the kind of gem needed to remove the star England captain, but having their main aggressor at the crease before lunch was not on England’s wish list.

BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN AN INNINGS IN PERTH

• 8-24: Glenn McGrath, Aus v Pak, 2004
• 8-61: Mitchell Johnson, Aus v SA, 2008
• 8-87: Merv Hughes, Aus v WI, 1988
• 8-97: Craig McDermott, Aus v Eng, 1991
• 7-25: Curtly Ambrose, WI v Aus, 1993
• 7-27: Mike Whitney, Aus v Ind, 1992
• 7-54: Andy Roberts, WI v Aus, 1975
• 7-58: Mitchell Starc, Aus v Eng, 2025

Debutant Brendan Doggett’s first Test wicket was Harry Brook, who was the only England batter to reach a half-century before a ball tickled his glove and he was caught behind for 52.

Those wickets were followed in a flurry by wicket-keeper Jamie Smith — whose 33 from 22 balls was a good time not a long time — and tailenders Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood. The tail combined for a paltry seven runs in a collapse of 5-12.

After the bluster of three years of BazBall, the top order showed a heavily reigned in version of the way they’ve gone about it since Brendon McCullum and Stokes took over. Duckett — renowned for playing at everything — began leaving balls and waited for Scott Boland to overpitch before unfurling into his drives.

He struck three boundaries — all straight — off Boland in his first three overs, which went for 23 runs.

No.3 Pope found the deep pockets of Optus Stadium and worked his way to 22 off 31 balls at the break. Brook came down the wicket to get off the mark and was on three when the cart rolled out.

Duckett fell for 21 off just 20 balls, trapped lbw after missing a full and straight Starc delivery.

Pope’s wicket was taken by Cam Green, lbw, in the West Aussie home favourite’s first over in international cricket for 13 months. He was replaced by Nathan Lyon for a quick burst.

Brook didn’t subscribe to the more conservative approach his teammates adopted. Eight minutes before the break he attempted an outlandish helicopter shot against Starc. He then smoked the most damaging bowler in the game over mid-off after marching down the wicket.

Wood and Jofra Archer will open the bowling as part of a four-man England pace attack. The visitors left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir on the sidelines.