Post by : Rameen Ariff

On Friday, Australia kicked off its Ashes title defense with a flourish as Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc on England’s top order during the first morning of the opening Test in Perth. By lunch, England found themselves in a precarious position at 105 for 4, with Australia firmly taking charge.

England won the toss and opted to bat first, banking on their pace attack's potential on the fast-bowling-friendly Perth pitch. They fielded an all-seam attack, choosing Brydon Carse over spinner Shoaib Bashir. Missing two key fast bowlers, captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Australia made space for newcomers Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald.

With added pressure on Starc to lead the charge, he delivered an exceptional performance, finishing the session with 3 wickets for just 24 runs. In his first over, he sent Zak Crawley packing for a six-ball duck with a 144 km/h delivery that edged to Usman Khawaja in the slips. Starc soon followed up by trapping Ben Duckett leg-before for 21 with a full inswinging ball.

Starc achieved a significant milestone by capturing his 100th Ashes wicket, dismissing Joe Root for a duck as the ball was caught by Marnus Labuschagne at third slip, plunging England deeper into trouble.

Cameron Green, who returned to fitness after a back injury, also contributed by removing Ollie Pope leg-before for 46, thwarting his promising innings.

As lunch approached, England's hopes relied on Harry Brook, who remained not out on 28, alongside captain Ben Stokes on 4, both striving to stabilize the innings following Australia’s commanding start. This impressive bowling display signified a strong opening for Australia’s Ashes campaign despite the absence of key players.

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