Perth [Australia], November 21 : Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes starred with the ball on Day 1 of the first Ashes Test between Australia and England at the Optus Stadium in Perth. While the Aussie pacer Starc grabbed seven wickets, England skipper Stokes took a five-for.
England were bowled out for 172 in their first innings. In response to the visitor's first-innings total, Australia crumbled to 123-9 at stumps on Day 1 with Nathan Lyon (3) and Brendan Doggett (0) unbeaten at the crease.
Australia started the final session at 15/1, with Steve Smith (7*) and Marnus Labuschagne (6*) unbeaten, trailing by 157 runs.
To start, Smith copped two body blows from Jofra Archer within the first over itself. Both Smith and Labuschagne survived close calls in the next over by Brydon Carse. Smith broke the shackles in the 14th over, bowled by Carse, first a cut wide off backward point, following it with a pull in the deep backward square leg region.
Carse and Archer did not budge, making things worse for Aussies as Archer cleaned up Labuschagne for a 41-ball nine, followed by Smith nicking a Carse delivery straight to Brook at slips for a 49-ball 17. Aussies lost both their premier batters, struggling at 30/3.
Usman Khawaja, who was cleared to bat at number four as he had not spent enough time on the field towards the end of England's innings, could not do anything of substance either as his six-ball stay was ended by Carse, nicking the ball into the hands of keeper Jamie Smith. Australia was all at sea against the express pace at 31/4 in 17.2 overs.
Travis Head and Cam Green took the responsibility to rebuild the innings, with the 50-run mark coming up for Australia in 23.2 overs. They eventually built a partnership and got a few boundaries before skipper Ben Stokes removed Head in his second over, producing a miracle when England needed it from their main man. Head succumbed to a soft dismissal, caught by Carse for 21 in 35 balls, with a four. Australia was five down at 76, ending a 45-run stand.
Stokes delivered a massive blow to the Aussies as he dismissed Green, who nicked off to Smith, scoring a 50-ball 24. Australia was six down at 83 runs in 31.1 overs, with the resistance of their main batters over and the pair of wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey and Starc at the crease to wipe off the rest of the deficit.
Australia crossed the 100-run mark with a fine boundary by Carey through the covers in the 33rd over. With Carey and Mitchell Starc looking to rebuild the innings for the home side, England's skipper took matters into his own hands as he dismissed Starc on the last ball of the 36th over. He then removed a dangerous-looking Carey, who got out for a run-a-ball 26-run innings. In the same over, he managed to remove the new batter Scott Boland for a duck, reducing the Aussies to 121-9 in 38 overs. Archer bowled the last over of the day as Nathan Lyon played out all six deliveries to end the day with Australia at 123-9, trailing by 49 runs. Stokes finished the day with impressive figures of 5-23 in six overs.
Earlier in the day, England started the second session at 105/4, with Brook (28*) and skipper Stokes (4*) unbeaten. Brook showcased audacity, dancing down the track against Scott Boland for a six over deep extra cover on the second ball of the session.
However, in the next over, Starc pushed England back by cleaning up the skipper for just six runs, who fell to him for the 10th time in his career. England had lost half their side for just 115 runs, and Starc had pocketed a four-fer.
Brook and Jamie Smith were unaffected and continued charging against the Aussie bowlers. Brook put some pressure on Starc with two back-to-back fours in the 26th over, while Jamie continued a couple of boundaries against Boland.
Jamie went full throttle against Starc in the 29th over, punishing him with three boundaries, one a classy straight drive, the next a pull in the gap between fine-leg and deep backward square-leg and the final one over fine leg to conclude the over. In that over, Brook also reached his half-century on his Test debut on Aussie soil in just 58 balls, with five fours and a six. England was 150 runs up in 29 overs, and the partnership was picking up slowly.
In the next over, Brendan Doggett got his first Test scalp, as the delivery brushed past Brook's glove and into the hands of wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Brook was back in the pavillion for a 61-ball 52, with England at 160/6 in 29.5 overs.
England spent the next three overs against Starc and Doggett, committing batting harakiri, with Starc getting the final two wickets of Jamie (33 in 22 balls, with six fours) and Mark Wood in the 33rd over. England was undone at 172 runs in 32.5 overs.
Starc delivered a performance to remember, registering his career-best figures of 7/58, his first-ever seven-wicket haul in a Test inning. Doggett also got 2/27 in his seven overs, while Cam Green's services were only required for an over, which yielded a vital wicket of Ollie Pope.
Now put to bat, Australia was off to a start that was just as nightmarish. Debutant Jake Weatherald was trapped leg-before-wicket by a 140 kph scorcher from Jofra Archer for a duck. Australia was one wicket down without scoring. The regular opener, Usman Khawaja, had not come to open as he had not spent enough time on the field.
Aussie pair of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne spent the next few overs ducking, chasing and being beaten by pacers Archer and Gus Atnkinson, who mixed their express pace with the outside off stump line, not allowing the duo to even open their tally.
It took Smith 14 balls and Australia a total of 4.4 overs to finally add a run to their tally, which was warmly welcomed by the crowd. Labuschagne ended the over with an on drive for four.
In the sixth over, Smith was struck on his right arm by a delivery from Atkinson.
Smith and Labuschagne ended the session without any further loss of wickets.
At the end of the first session, England was 105/4, with Brook (28*) and Stokes (4*) unbeaten.
England had won the toss, choosing to bat first, and they found themselves on the back foot in the first over itself, with a fiery Mitchell Starc removing Zak Crawley on the final ball of the over for a duck. Crawley attempted a drive, but the ball found the edge of his bat and travelled to Usman Khawaja at slips. England was 0/1.
Scott Boland started his spell with the new ball, beating Ben Duckett on the first delivery pitched outside off, but Duckett and Ollie Pope collected three runs each to give England some runs on the board. The duo remained watchful against Starc.
But in the third over, Duckett released some pressure with a boundary through mid-on to start off the over and another crisp stroke through mid-off to end it. The left-handers upped the attack, collecting a boundary each against Starc and Boland, further taking England to 30 in six overs.
Starc trapped Duckett leg-before-wicket plumb, ending a 33-run stand and removing a dangerous Duckett for a 20-ball 21, with four boundaries. England was 33/2 in 6.4 overs.
Starc left England in massive trouble as a seaming delivery caught the edge of Joe Root's bat and flew straight to Marnus Labuschagne at slips. Root's first innings on English soil this Ashes turned out to be a seven-ball duck. England was 39/3 in 8.5 overs, with the left-arm pacer completing a century of Ashes wickets and removing their fearsome top order.
Brendan Doggett's first over saw him test Pope with some troublesome deliveries.
Pope continued to attack with positive intent, hitting Starc for a four over the slip cordon after being given some width, taking his side to the 50-run mark in 11 overs. Boland and Doggett conceded a boundary each against both as the partnership kept marching on.
A lovely on-drive down the ground by Pope, on a delivery by Cameron Green, helped Pope-Brook complete their 50-run stand in 64 balls.
The partnership came to an end as even a review could not save Pope, who became the victim of an unfortunate umpire's call for leg-before wicket. Pope was gone for 46 in 58 balls, with four boundaries. Green got his first wicket. England was 94/4 in 20 overs.
Brook charged Starc and hit him for a four over extra cover, delivering a massive statement of his intent. 100 runs were up for Australia in 22.1 overs.
Brook and skipper Ben Stokes ended the session without any further loss of wickets.
Brief Scores: England: 172 (Harry Brook 52, Ollie Pope 46, Mitchell Starc 7/58) vs Australia: 123/9 (Alex Carey 26, Cameron Green 24, Ben Stokes 5/23).