Perth, Australia - In a dramatic turn of events on the opening day of the 2025 Ashes series, England captain Ben Stokes spearheaded a stunning comeback against Australia, claiming a sensational five-wicket haul. This remarkable performance wrestled the initiative back for the visitors after a shaky start at Perth Stadium.
England, having won the toss and elected to bat, were bundled out for a modest 172, largely due to a blistering spell from Mitchell Starc, who finished with a career-best 7-58. Starc's venomous opening spell saw him remove Zak Crawley for a duck with the fifth ball of the day, marking the 24th time he has struck in the first over of an innings. He followed this up by dismissing Ben Duckett (21) and Joe Root (0), leaving England reeling at 33-3. Ollie Pope (46) and Harry Brook (52) offered some resistance, guiding England to 105-4 at lunch, but Starc returned after the break to dismiss Stokes for six. Brook reached his half-century before debutant Brendan Doggett claimed his maiden Test wicket. Starc then cleaned up the tail, securing his 17th five-wicket haul.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically when England took to the field. Despite missing spinner Shoaib Bashir in their all-pace attack, the English bowlers struck back with Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse removing Australia's openers. Carse then dismissed Usman Khawaja to leave Australia at 31/4. Travis Head and Cameron Green briefly steadied the ship with a 45-run partnership, but then Ben Stokes introduced himself into the attack.
Stokes' impact was immediate and devastating. Bowling with sharp discipline, relentless accuracy, and trademark intensity, he ripped through the Australian batting lineup, claiming five wickets for just 23 runs in six overs. Stokes dismissed Head and Green, breaking their threatening partnership, before dismantling the lower order. He removed Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland to complete his third five-wicket haul in Ashes. This was Stokes' 6th five-wicket haul in his Test career.
Stokes' incredible spell restricted Australia to 123/9 at stumps, trailing by 49 runs. Stokes became the first England captain in 43 years to take a five-wicket haul in an Ashes Test. Stokes is also close to surpassing Gubby Allen's record for the best bowling figures by an England captain in the Ashes.
Brydon Carse said that Ben Stokes is a real leader and gets the best out of everyone.
The day witnessed a staggering 19 wickets fall, showcasing the dominance of pace bowling on a lively Perth pitch. The match is evenly poised, with England holding a slender advantage thanks to Stokes' heroics. On Day 1, Mitchell Starc shined with the ball for Australia with a total of 7 wickets. Play will resume on Saturday, with Australia looking to reduce the deficit and England aiming to press home their advantage.
