The Ashes 2025-26: Australia defeated England by eight wickets in the first match of the Ashes series played in Perth. The match ended in just two days. England were all out for 164 in their second innings on Saturday. The English team had set a target of 205 runs for the Kangaroos. In response, Australia achieved the target in just 28.2 overs, losing only two wickets. Australia won the Test match by playing in a T20 style. The hero of this victory for the Kangaroos was Travis Head, who played a stormy inning of 123 runs in 83 balls with the help of 16 fours and four sixes. He made his debut as an opener in a Test match in Australia and created a stir. Apart from this, Marnus Labuschagne remained unbeaten after scoring 51 runs in 49 balls.
Australia Playing-11: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.
England Playing-11: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood.
In this match England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and decided to bat first. England batted first and on Friday the entire team was all out for 172 runs in 33 overs. Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc for Australia by taking seven wickets, while debutant Doggett got two wickets. In reply, Australia lost nine wickets till Friday and on Saturday the team was all out for 132 runs. England got a lead of 40 runs on the basis of the first innings. Captain Ben Stokes took five wickets for England, while Brydon Carse got three and Jofra Archer got two wickets. On the second day, England scored 164 runs in the second innings and the total lead became 204 runs. In reply, Australia won by eight wickets.
England captain Ben Stokes walks to chat and reflects on the defeat. Stokes says that he is a bit shell-shocked but praises Head and calls his hundred as a phenomenal one. Adds that guys who tried to take on the bowlers got success on this wicket. Says that Head got the wind out of them, and they tried three or four different plans, but nothing worked.
Travis Head turned the match into a one-sided affair, scoring 123 runs off 83 balls in the second innings to set up victory. He hit four sixes and 16 fours during this innings. Jack Weatherald scored 23 runs for Australia, while Marnus Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 51. Brydon Carse took two wickets for England in the second innings.
And Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc took seven wickets in the first innings against England and then added three in the second innings. This means he took a total of 10 wickets in this Test match. With match figures of 10/113, Starc has become the first Australian seamer to take a 10-for in an Ashes Test since Craig McDermott's 11/157 at the same venue in 1990-91. Overall, this was Starc's third match haul of 10 wickets or more in Tests. Scott Boland took four wickets in the second innings against England, while Brendan Doggett also took three.
Player of the Match: Mitchell Starc (AUS) 7/58 & 12 & 3/55.
