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Ashes 1st Test: Australia 123/9 At Stumps on Day 1, Trail England By 49 Runs

All five previous Tests at Perth have been won by the side batting first

By :  DC Web Desk
By :  AP
Update: 2025-11-21 02:24 GMT
England's Jofra Archer, right, celebrates with teammates the wicket of Australia's Jake Weatherald during the first Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Perth, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.(AP Photo)
Perth: In a chaotic opening day of the Ashes, Ben Stokes won the toss and watched his team skittled for 172 before taking a five-wicket haul to give England a first-innings advantage Friday in the first cricket test.
Day 1 lived up to the pre-series hype, with pace bowlers dominating on a sunny day in front of more than 51,000 spectators at Perth Stadium.
Mitchell Starc took a career-best 7-58 as Australia bundled England out by the second session. Jofra Archer took a wicket in the first over of Australia's reply to show the five-man England pace arsenal wasn't to be outdone. The home team was 123-9 at stumps, still 49 runs behind.
In terms of wickets - 19 tumbled in 72 overs - the test is almost half over with four days remaining.
England lost wickets at regular intervals but batted with intent, scoring at 5.23 runs per over.
The disjointed Australian batting lineup went in defensively and lost wickets at even more regular intervals, without the flow of runs.
Batters from both teams were hit in the grill by sharply rising short-pitch deliveries, with Cameron Green struck by a 147 kph (91 mph) Mark Wood bouncer that knocked him off balance and almost had him tripping on his stumps in the 24th over of Australia's innings.
England's attack was bowling with the kind of menace that the Australian pacemen usually dish out to visiting teams Down Under.
Bad timing
England's late batting collapse caught Usman Khawaja by surprise, the veteran Australia opener in the dressing rooms at the time.
Because he was off for more than eight minutes and hadn't spent an equivalent amount of time back in the field before England's innings ended, he wasn't allowed to open the Australian innings. Marnus Labuschagne had to move up the order to fill in.
Khawaja also wasn't allowed to go in at No. 3 when Jake Weatherald was trapped lbw to Archer on the second ball of the innings on his test debut, meaning Steve Smith had to go to the crease in the first over.
The Ben Stokes show
Archer took the first two wickets and Brydon Carse took the next two to have Australia reeling at 31-4.
Travis head and Green combined in a 45-run fourth-wicket stand to revive Australia's innings before Stokes broke through. He dismissed Head (21), Green (24), Alex Carey (26) and Starc (12) to rip through the middle order before getting Scott Boland (0) in the next-to-last over to return 5-23 in six overs for the day.
Stokes entered the series saying he was desperate to end England's 15-test winless streak in Australia. So far, it's advantage England.
Starc's career best
The 35-year-old Starc took a wicket in the first over of a test for the 24th time to set the tone, having Zac Crawley caught at slip by Khawaja on the sixth delivery before England had scored a run.
He snared three wickets in his first five overs, including Ben Duckett (21) and Joe Root (0) as England slipped to 39-3.
He took four more after lunch, including the key wicket of Stokes, as England lost six wickets for 67 runs after lunch, including the last five for 12 runs.
Starc picked off the last two wickets on consecutive balls to remove Jamie Smith (33) and Mark Wood (0), and will start the next innings on a hat-trick.
"Nice way to start a series," Starc said. "There's been a lot made about (Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood) being not here and I guess me being an experienced one, so nice to lead that way."
The difference
A 55-run fourth-wicket stand between Ollie Pope (46) and Harry Brook (52) for England was the biggest partnership of Day 1.
England's attacking intent kept with the - Bazball - method under Brendon McCullum's coaching, aiming to score quickly and make the bowlers wilt.
The team batting first has won all five tests played at Perth Stadium and that was a heavy factor in Stokes deciding to go against his preferred option of bowling first and chasing.
Indigenous Australians
Regular skipper Cummins and Hazlewood are missing the first test because of injuries, opening the way for Brendan Doggett (2-27) to make his test debut and become the third Indigenous Australian man to play test cricket.
Doggett bowled alongside Scott Boland, making it the first time two Indigenous Australians have played in the same test lineup.
Doggett made a vital breakthrough in his sixth over to have Brook caught behind, cramped for room and gloving a short-pitch ball down legside. He also troubled Carse (6) with short-pitch bowling before getting his wicket, caught in the outfield.
Live Updates
2025-11-21 09:01 GMT
Stokes Removes Head as Australia Slip to Five Down

England captain Ben Stokes strikes immediately at 29.1, removing the dangerous Travis Head. The delivery forced Head into a mistimed shot, and Brydon Carse completed a clean catch.

Head departs for 21 off 35 balls (1 four) — a crucial breakthrough for England, halting Australia’s rebuilding effort.

2025-11-21 08:58 GMT
Australia Move to 76/4 as Green and Head Build Steadily

After 29 overs, Australia have progressed to 76 for 4, with the latest over producing 4 runs through the sequence 0 0 0 1 1 2.

Cameron Green has moved to 21 from 43 balls, while Travis Head is on 21 from 34 balls, as the pair continues to stitch together a cautious rebuilding partnership.

Brydon Carse, who made early inroads, now has figures of 7-1-24-2, maintaining pressure with disciplined bowling in this live passage of play.

2025-11-21 08:35 GMT
Australia Reach 53/4 as Green and Head Look to Rebuild

Australia stand at 53 for 4. The latest over yielded 4 runs with the sequence 0 1 3 0 0 0.

Cameron Green is batting on 7 from 28 balls, showing patience as he tries to steady the innings. Travis Head is on 12 from 19 balls, providing some stability at the other end.

Mark Wood has bowled a tight spell so far, returning figures of 4-0-10-0, keeping the pressure firmly on the Australian batsmen in this live contest.

2025-11-21 08:15 GMT
Australia Slump to 41/4 After Tight Over From Carse

After 20 balls, Australia are in deep trouble at 41 for 4. The latest over produced just three runs, with the sequence reading 3 0 0 0 0 0.

Cameron Green is batting on 4 off 12 balls, while Travis Head is on 7 off 11 balls, trying to stabilise the innings after a top-order collapse.

Brydon Carse has been the standout bowler so far, delivering a superb spell with figures of 6-1-20-2, tightening the pressure on the Australian side in this live encounter.

2025-11-21 08:01 GMT
England on fire!

England are on fire as Usman Khawaja departs for 2, leaving Australia in serious trouble at 31/4. The bowlers have been striking at regular intervals and keeping the batters under constant pressure.


2025-11-21 07:54 GMT
Australia in trouble

Australia’s problems deepens as captain Steve Smith falls for 17. England's Brydon Carse picks his first wicket.

2025-11-21 07:44 GMT
Labuschagne departs

Marnus Labuschagne departs as Australia lose second wicket; Jofra Archer strikes again.

2025-11-21 07:40 GMT
Australia 20/1 after 13 overs

Australia reached 20/1 in 13 overs in a slow and watchful start to the innings. England bowlers are keeping a tight hold on the scoring as the Australian batters struggled to find boundaries.

2025-11-21 06:53 GMT
Slow Start For Australia

Slow start for Australia as they reach 9/1 in 8 overs

2025-11-21 06:16 GMT
Jake Weatherald departs

Australia loses their first wicket, Archer dismisses Jake Weatherald for 0

Next Updates
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