Ashes 2025-26 1st Test Highlights: Travis Head And Mitchell Starc Crush England In Two Days. Australia emphatically announced their arrival in the opening Test of the Ashes series, routing England by eight wickets and just two days of play at Perth Stadium. The game had two main elements — the collapse of the England batsmen in their second innings on day two and the power hitting by Travis Head, assisted by the seam of Mitchell Starc.
Day One began with England batting first, bundled out for 172 on Starc’s devastating 7 for 58 — the six English batsmen included Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, and he set the tone for England’s day. Australia batted next, posting a total of 132 runs, which gave England a lead of 20 runs, but Australia was always clinically in control with the ball.
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Day 2: England’s Collapse and Starc’s Masterclass
Day two started with England seemingly in control, leading by 49 runs and 65 for 1 wicket down; however, they dramatically fell apart during the time just before lunch. England lost 5 wickets for just 23 runs, tumbling from 65/1 to 88/6, as the Australian seamers ripped through the order. Starc then added another three wickets, for a match haul of 10 wickets (10-113) — the first to take a ten-wicket haul in an Ashes Test in 35 years.
Scott Boland and debutant Brendan Doggett evidently supported the performance, with Boland taking 4-33 in the second innings. England were bowled out for 164 and set Australia a target of 205.
The Chase: Head’s Assault
Australia was quick to the chase. Usman Khawaja was unavailable due to back issues, so Travis Head was moved up and responded magnificently with a blazing 123 off 83 balls, smashing 16 fours and 4 sixes. He reached 100 in 69 balls. His onslaught mostly broke the back of England’s attack and the local fans. Marnus Labuschagne at the other end was not out on 51, and Australia finished off the target with eight wickets in the bank in 28.2 overs.
Key Moments That Turned the Match
England’s collapse in the afternoons of Day 2; Starc’s strike to get Root and Stokes, which triggered the collapse; Head’s surprise move to open the batting and demolish the English bowling; Australia were superior in both batting and bowling, and the match finished up inside two full days.
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Australia now goes up 1-0 in the series, and England will need to find a way to regroup and regroup soon for the next Test. They’ve made their intentions for the series clear: they didn’t just win; they crushed the first Test and now have the psychological edge.