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How to tune into Sport NationStarc magic destroys England in hot start to Ashes
Oliver Caffrey, AAP • November 21st, 2025 7:25 pm
Mitchell Starc has dismantled England's batting order on day one of the first Ashes Test | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
Mitchell Starc's career-best haul has helped run through England for 172 in just 33 overs in a flying start to the Ashes in Perth.
Bazball's debut innings in Australia was an abject failure, no match for Starc's lethal pace and movement as he claimed 7/58 in the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
England continued to attack and play aggressive shots, even as wickets regularly tumbled and Starc was bowling superbly.
The tourists collapsed twice in their innings - first to 39/3, then from 115/4 to be all out just 13 overs later.
England's Harry Brook was looking threatening, hitting Scott Boland all around Perth Stadium.
But Brook (52) fell to debutant Brendan Doggett (2/27), who claimed his first Test wicket after Australia reviewed a catch given not out.
Before the TV umpire could even adjudicate, Brook was walking off the ground because the ball touched his glove before being caught by Alex Carey.
Starc made another famous start to an Ashes series, striking in the first over to send England into a familiar spin.
Four years after his iconic first-ball dismissal of Rory Burns at the Gabba, Australia's left-arm spearhead finished the opening over of this series with the wicket of Zak Crawley (0).
Harry Brook blasts a cover drive before lunch on day one of the first Test | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
Starc wasn't done there, claiming Crawley's opening partner Ben Duckett (21), and most importantly, star batter Joe Root (0) before drinks.
After Ben Stokes, surprisingly, chose to bat first after winning the toss, England limped to lunch at 105/4.
A Perth record crowd of 43,591 was already in the stadium to see Starc claim a wicket in the first over of a Test for the 24th time.
Starc getting Root caught in slips took him to 100 Ashes dismissals.
"This guy is a bowler of the ages and we've taken him for granted for so long," former Australia spinner Kerry O'Keeffe said on Fox Cricket.
Starc's figures surpassed his previous best of 6-for-9, which came in the last Test he played back in July against West Indies.
Doggett and aggressive opener Jake Weatherald are on international debut, making it 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 Boland and former star quick Jason Gillespie.
Boland and Doggett are creating history as the only two Indigenous players to be in the same Australian Test team.
Scott Boland charges in, but took some early punishment from England's top order | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
Doggett is just the third First Nations man to play Tests for Australia, after Boland and Gillespie.
After picking a 12-man squad on Wednesday, England on Friday confirmed 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, with Stokes also to bowl pace.
Tune into Sport Nation for live ball-by-ball commentary of the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, available on the Sport Nation app via SEN.
The Ashes series opener | SEN Cricket
