Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes put up jaw-dropping performances on the opening day of the Ashes as the two players picked up five-wicket hauls on an action-packed day in Perth.
Starc ripped through the England batting order with his seven-wicket haul before Stokes overshadowed the great Aussie speedster with his five-fer. The hard-hitting England side was bowled out for 172, losing their last five wickets for just 12 runs.
Meanwhile, Stokes' fifer have put England on top now as they have put Australia in big trouble at 123/9 with the hosts still trailing by 49 more.
Meanwhile, this was the first instance of two players picking up five-wicket hauls on day 1 of a Test match after 20 years. The last pair to have done so was that of Steve Harmison and Glenn McGrath, both of whom had achieved the record in the 2005 Lord's Test.
This was only the fourth instance of bowlers from the opposing sides picking up five-wicket hauls on the first day of a Test since 1950. Apart from these two instances, the other pairs to have done so were Richard Collinge and Gary Gilmour in the Auckland Test in 1974 and Frank Worrell and Bill Johnston in the Adelaide Test in 1951.
Meanwhile, the Ashes opener saw a record-breaking opening day in Perth. This was the first time in 116 years that the opening day of an Ashes Test saw 18 or more wickets falling down.
The last time this happened was way back in 1909, when both Australia and England were bowled out at the Old Trafford Test on the first day.
Meanwhile, 19 wickets to fall on the opening day are also the most in the last 100 years, with 17 wickets going down in the 2001 Trent Bridge Test and the 2005 Lord's Test.
Most wickets on the opening day of an Ashes Test in the last 100 years:
19 Perth Stadium 2025 (Eng 10, Aus 9)
17 Trent Bridge 2001 (Eng 10, Aus 7)
17 Lord’s 2005 (Aus 10, Eng 7)
