Ashes 2025: 5 Talking Points from Australia’s 8-Wicket Win over England in Perth Opener

Australia took a 1-0 lead in the Ashes with an 8-wicket win over England in just two days, powered by Mitchell Starc’s 10-wicket haul and Travis Head’s 69-ball century, leaving England reeling after a disastrous batting performance.

Australia Take 1-0 Ashes Series Lead

Australia took a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series with a commanding eight-wicket win over England in the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, November 22. The Perth opener concluded in just two days, making it the first Ashes match to be finished in under two days in Australia.

With a 205-run target after bundling out England for 164 in the second innings on Day 2, Australia chased it down comfortably in 28.2 overs, with Travis Head playing a brilliant knock of 123 off 83 balls, including 16 fours and 4 sixes, at an impressive strike rate of 148.19. His 117-run stand for the second wicket with Marnus Labuschagne, who was unbeaten on 51 off 49 balls, helped Australia chase down the target with ease.

As Australia sealed the victory in the Perth opener, let’s take a look at key talking points from the opening match of the Ashes series.

1. Mitchell Starc’s Record 10-Wicket Haul

Mitchell Starc had a brilliant outing with the ball in the Ashes series opener at Optus Stadium. In the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Starc shouldered the responsibility of leading Australia’s pace attack, finishing with a sensational 10-wicket haul across both innings to dismantle England’s batting line-up and set up a commanding position for the hosts in the Perth Opener.

Starc registered his best bowling figures in the first innings with 7/58 before taking three wickets while conceding 55 runs. With a 10-wicket haul in the Perth Test, Mitchell Starc became the first Australian pacer since Craig McDermott’s 11-wicket haul in the 1990-91 Ashes to take 10-fer in this rivalry. The veteran Australian pacer’s figures of 10/113 are his best against England in Tests.

2. Joe Root’s Dismal Performance

Former England captain and star batter Joe Root had a nightmare start to the Ashes 2025 as he was dismissed cheaply in both innings by Mitchell Starc in the Perth Opener. In the first innings, Root was dismissed for a seven-ball duck, registering his ninth duck against Australia in international cricket. The 34-year-old's poor form continues as he was bowled out for just 8 runs, adding to his struggles on Australian soil and extending his century drought Down Under.

Following his duck and 8-run dismissal, Joe Root’s Test batting average in Australia dipped from 35 to 31 after the disastrous start to the Perth opener, intensifying scrutiny on his performances in the Ashes series Down Under. Root is expected to remain in the spotlight in the remainder of the ongoing Ashes series.

3. Scott Boland Resurgence in 2nd Innings

Australia’s second pacer, Scott Boland, had a forgettable outing in the first innings, where he conceded 62 runs without taking a wicket at an economy rate of 6.2 in his spell of 10 overs. However, Boland made a brilliant comeback in the second innings, where he, alongside Mitchell Starc and Brendan Doggett, dismantled England’s batting line-up and bundled the visitors for 164.

Scott Boland was instrumental in triggering the collapse in England’s batting as his wickets of Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, and Gus Atkinson helped Australia seize control of the match. Boland was the best bowler for Australia in the second innings as he registered figures of 4/33 at an economy rate of 2.80 in his spell of 11.4 overs.

4. England’s Shambolic Batting Display

England are likely to forget their outing in the Perth opener as they crumbled under relentless Australian bowling, losing 20 wickets in just two days and failing to build any meaningful partnerships to challenge the hosts. In the first innings, the hosts were bowled out for 172, but had a 40-run lead after bundling out Australia for 132.

Despite a first-innings lead, England could not leverage it as much, collapsing meekly in the second innings and handing Australia a 205-run target, which they chased comfortably to secure an 8-wicket victory. For the first time since 1921, England were bowled out across two days, highlighting one of their worst batting collapses in over a century.

5. Travis Head’s Record 69-Ball Century

Travis Head displayed his aggression and firepower in Australia’s 205-run chase as he notched up a match-winning century in just 69 balls. Promoted as a makeshift opener after Usman Khawaja was ruled out of the final innings due to a back spasm, Head unleashed his carnage on England bowlers, hitting boundaries at will and dominating the chase to steer Australia to an emphatic 8-wicket victory.

The southpaw completed his fifty in just 36 balls before taking another 33 balls to bring up his first century of the ongoing Ashes series. Travis Head’s 69-ball century is the second-fastest by any batter in the history of the Ashes. Former Australia captain Adam Gilchrist holds the record of a 57-ball century, set against England in the 2006-07 Ashes series.