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Travis Head smashed a 69-ball century as Australia beat England by eight wickets in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, with Mitchell Starc taking a 10-wicket haul.
Mitchell Starc’s 10-fer and Travis Head’s hundred help Australia beat England by 8 wickets in 1st Ashes Test (AP)
Makeshift opener Travis Head blasted a 69-ball century to propel Australia to victory in the first Ashes Test on Saturday as England capitulated inside two days at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Chasing 205 for the win, Head scored 123 as the hosts triumphed by eight wickets on day two, marking an electrifying start to the five-match series. Marnus Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 51, while Steve Smith was not out on two.
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Head’s remarkable performance followed a fiery spell from fast bowlers Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc after lunch, triggering a dramatic England collapse.
Initially, England seemed comfortable at 65/1, building a threatening second-innings lead. However, Boland and Starc shattered their momentum, claiming four wickets in as many overs.
Boland dismissed Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33), and Harry Brook (0) within 11 balls, and two deliveries later, Starc sent Joe Root back to the pavilion for eight. When Starc dismissed captain Ben Stokes (2), England floundered at 88-6. Starc achieved a 10-wicket haul for only the third time in his career, following his 7/58 in the first innings, a personal best.
England was partially saved by a vital 50-run partnership between Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20) before being bowled out for 164 at tea.
Upon resumption, Usman Khawaja again struggled as opener due to back stiffness, prompting Australia to send in Head. Head, who has opened nine times in Test cricket, quickly found his destructive rhythm, hitting several impressive boundaries, including significant sixes off Carse and Mark Wood.
Head’s dominance contrasted starkly with the challenges other batsmen faced on the bouncy pitch. He reached his half-century in 36 balls, surpassing 4,000 Test runs in the process. Debutant Jake Weatherald attempted to emulate Head’s aggressive approach but was dismissed for 23 after a mistimed pull shot, caught by Ben Duckett off Carse.
Head remained calm, maintaining pressure by hitting four boundaries in one Stokes over and sending a six over Jofra Archer’s head en route to his 10th Test century. He eventually fell to Carse while attempting another big hit.
Australia resumed their first innings at 123/9, adding just nine runs before Nathan Lyon was dismissed by Carse for four, leaving England with a 40-run lead. Stokes starred with 5-23 off 36 balls, giving England a prime chance to win a Test in Australia for the first time since the 2010-11 series. England had been bowled out for 172 by Starc on day one.
Australia relied on the 35-year-old Starc to replicate his first-innings performance. He energised the packed Perth Stadium crowd by dismissing Zak Crawley in his first over, consigning Crawley to a pair with a spectacular caught-and-bowled.
Duckett and Pope settled down, safely reaching lunch at 59/1. However, Scott Boland found his rhythm after the break, dismissing Duckett, Pope, and Brook in quick succession. Joe Root, desperate for runs after a first-innings duck, couldn’t withstand Starc’s relentless attack, edging onto his stumps to cap a dismal start to the series. Brendan Doggett then cleaned up Jamie Smith (15), Carse, and Archer (5).
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
November 22, 2025, 15:36 IST
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