Mitchell Starc unleashes rampage on England with career-best Test figures; Vaughan questions ‘Bazball and its brain’
Mitchell Starc returned with figures of 7/58 as Australia bowled out England for 172 in the first innings of the first Ashes Test in Perth.
No one does it like Mitchell Starc. The 35-year-old, known for raising his game when it matters the most, once again stood up for Australia in the first innings of the first Ashes Test against England at the Optus Stadium in Perth, and this time, it will be all the more sweeter for the left-arm pacer, as his performance came when the hosts needed it the most, considering both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were unavailable. Starc returned with his career-best figures of 7/58 in the first innings to help Australia bundle out England.
Starc began the proceedings with a bang on the opening day of the Ashes 2025-26 series as he dismissed Zak Crawley for a duck in the morning session. He then took the wickets of Ben Duckett (21) and Joe Root (0) as Australia returned with four wickets at the lunch break.
Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith called upon Starc right at the start of the second session, and he didn't disappoint, dismissing the England captain Ben Stokes (6) for not too many.
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The seamer then ran through England's final few wickets, taking the scalps of Gus Atkinson (1), Jamie Smith (33), and Mark Wood (0). For England, Harry Brook was the top-scorer as he played a knock of 52, while Ollie Pope also chipped in with 46.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan didn't mince his words as he tore into England and their ‘Bazball’ approach. He cited how England's tailenders weren't looking to give Jamie Smith the strike despite him going well at the crease.
“Poor batting. The way the last few wickets down. Really poor. You’ve got to question Bazball and its brain,” Vaughan said on air while calling the game for Fox Cricket.
“The tailenders should have looked to bat with Jamie Smith. Really poor from the batters towards the end. The plan should have been to give him the strike and let him do the heavy lifting,” he added.
Starc creates all sorts of records
Starc's 7/58 is also the best individual figures at the Perth Stadium, and this was the second seven-wicket haul in the 21st century for Australia at home in Ashes Tests.
The left-arm pacer is also the first bowler to take seven wickets on the opening day of an Ashes Test in Australia since Craig McDermott’s eight at the WACA in 1990/91.
England's innings, which lasted just 197 balls, is the third shortest first innings of an Ashes Test on Australian soil.
Earlier, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first at the Optus Stadium. The visitors fielded an all-pace attack with both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood in the playing XI.
