The highly anticipated Ashes series between Australia and England got underway today in Perth and a lot happened in the first couple of sessions. 11 wickets fell in just 42.5 overs of play as England got all-out for just 172 runs, while Australia also lost their first wicket in the first over of their innings, with debutant Jake Weatherald failing to open his account.
Earlier in the day, Mitchell Starc struck in the first over of the innings for the 24th time in his Test career as he dismissed Zak Crawley for a duck. The opening partnerships of both England and Australia couldn't add a single run in the first innings for the first time in the history of the Ashes. The first ever Ashes series was played in 1882, and never before the opening stands of both teams bagged a duck in the first innings of a Test match.
While Crawley wafted at a delivery outside the off-stump to edge the ball to the first slip, Jake Weatherald got a snorter from Jofra Archer on the second ball of the innings. The latter was trapped in front of the stumps as he became the fifth Australian opener to get out for a duck in his debut Test innings.
Mitchell Starc runs riot in Perth
Mitchell Starc didn't just stop after picking up a wicket in the first over and ran riot to register his career best figures, accounting for seven wickets for the first time. He returned with figures of 7/58, the best individual figures at Perth Stadium, and it is also the second seven-wicket haul for Australia in the 21st century in home Ashes Tests. Moreover, Starc also became the first bowler in 34 years to pick up seven wickets on the opening day of the Ashes Test in Australia.
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