Ashes 1st Test Highlights, AUS vs ENG: Ton-up Travis Head, Mitchell Starc's 10-for power Australia to 8-wicket win

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Ashes 1st Test Highlights, Australia vs England: Travis Head blazed his way to a 123-run knock off 83 balls, including a rapid 69-ball century, steering Australia to an emphatic 8-wicket win in Perth to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Head’s aggressive, white-ball-style approach dominated the 205-run chase, while Mitchell Starc’s 10-wicket haul and Scott Boland’s four-wicket burst in the second innings had earlier dismantled England for 164.

Alongside Head’s explosive century, Marnus Labuschagne contributed an unbeaten 51, helping Australia race through the 205-run target in just one session. Head’s counterattacking masterclass dominated England’s attack, guiding his team to a comprehensive and emphatic victory.

Starc had earlier lit up the post-lunch session, removing Joe Root and Ben Stokes in the space of a few deliveries to ignite a dramatic collapse. With Boland also striking in quick succession, both seamers picked up three wickets each in the spell as England’s innings unravelled and two of their biggest names departed cheaply.

Before the chaos, England had reached 59/1 at lunch, leading by 99, after Ben Duckett survived a nervy moment right before the break—struck painfully on the forearm, then given out lbw the next ball, only for DRS to overturn it with the ball pitching outside leg. Duckett and Ollie Pope then dug in for a solid stand that frustrated Australia, forcing the bowlers to chase desperately for a breakthrough.

Earlier in the day, Starc continued his remarkable habit of striking in the opening over, sending Zak Crawley back for a duck with a beauty to extend his first-over dismissal streak.

Australia folded for 132 as Brydon Carse delivered the final breakthrough, handing England a commanding 40-run first-innings advantage. Nathan Lyon (4) was the last man to get out for Australia in the first innings, while Brendan Doggett remained unbeaten on 7.

19 wickets and hardly a moment to catch your breath. That was the story of Day 1 of the 2025 Ashes played at the Perth Stadium, with England probably taking the front seat in their contest against their old rivals, Australia. If the first day of a fresh Ashes series provides the omens for how the tour will go, England fans will be waking up early in their morning, feeling pretty happy with the circumstances.

It was nothing short of a failure of a day for Australia, especially once they had bowled out England for 172 in the space of 33 overs. Coming into bat, Australia could only put up 123 runs and lost 9 wickets, a collapse being triggered after their batting order was forced into being shuffled around at the top.

Now, England will start Day 2 with the opportunity to wrap up the Australian innings and take a hefty first innings lead, on a surface that has proven difficult for run scoring, with a large and slow outfield, and extra bounce in the surface which has made value for shots very minimal.

Can Joe Root take notes from the Virat Kohli Perth playbook?

On top of that, with the pitch only expected to get flatter on Day 2 and Day 3, and conditions of batting improving in that period, the Bazball group will have intentions of putting up a big third innings score, matching what India did at this venue only a year ago as they beat Australia to start the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Their effort will be led by Joe Root, still hunting for that elusive century on Australian soil, and who will look to emulate what Virat Kohli managed 12 months ago.

Of course, Australia will have their own tricks up their sleeve, most notably Mitchell Starc, who delivered career-best figures with 7 wickets at the beginning of Day 1. That will feel like ages ago to the Australian fans, but remains cause for optimism nonetheless. In support will be Scott Boland, who is undoubtedly going to come back with a stronger performance than the one he managed against the likes of Harry Brook, who took him down in the first innings. Rounding out the bowling will be debutant Brendan Doggett and their massively experienced off spinner Nathan Lyon.

England just about have their noses ahead in Perth – but will they manage to secure the advantage and take a big lead?

Ashes 1st Test Day 2 Highlights, Australia vs England:

- Ashes 1st Test ended in two days after Travis Head's record century. Australia (132 & 205/2) beat England (172 & 164) by 8 wickets to go 1-0 up.

- Travis Head slams 10th Test century in 69 balls. Australia 59 runs away from going 1-0 up vs England in Perth.

- Travis Head counter-punched with a blistering 36-ball fifty after Jake Weatherald’s dismissal.

- 50 up for Australia as Travis Head shifted gears into white-ball aggression.

- England 164 all out (G Atkinson 37; S Boland 4/33) in the second innings on Day 2, set Australia a target of 205 runs

- Mitchell Starc turned up the heat, sealing a brilliant 10-wicket match haul with the crucial dismissals of Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

- Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland triggered a post-lunch collapse, extending England’s batting woes as Joe Root departed cheaply amid the chaos.

- Mitchell Starc delivered another trademark first-over breakthrough, producing a brilliant dismissal to send Zak Crawley packing for a duck.

- Australia’s innings closes at 132 with Brydon Carse striking the final blow, putting England firmly in control with a 40-run lead.

- A dropped chance grants Brendan Doggett another opportunity, allowing Australia to rally with a stubborn last-wicket stand.