The opening day of the highly anticipated Perth Ashes Test erupted into a whirlwind of action, featuring a blistering bowling performance from Mitchell Starc and a bizarre mystery surrounding Australian batsman Usman Khawaja.
England, choosing to bat first at Optus Stadium, were bundled out for a rapid-fire 172 in just two sessions, with Starc claiming a magnificent seven-wicket haul.
Starc's Spectacular Spell Sinks England
With Australia's first-choice attack depleted, the responsibility fell heavily on Mitchell Starc, and the paceman delivered in emphatic fashion. He struck in the very first over, removing Zak Crawley to continue his remarkable record of early breakthroughs.
Starc's masterclass culminated in a devastating seven-ball setup to dismiss England's key batter, Joe Root, for his first-ever duck on Australian soil. The left-armer then returned to clean up the tail, taking the final two wickets with the last two balls of the innings to finish with 7/52 and place himself on a hat-trick.
Captain Smith's Aggressive Gambit Pays Off
Stand-in captain Steve Smith immediately signalled a more aggressive intent than his predecessor, Pat Cummins, had shown in the previous Ashes series. From the first ball, Smith employed attacking fields, a stark contrast to the defensive boundary riders used at Edgbaston in 2023.
While England's batters still scored quickly, the attacking fields meant catchers were in place when chances came. This proactive approach, combined with England's relentless 'Bazball' philosophy, led to a dramatic collapse of 5/12, handing Australia a commanding position by bowling the tourists out before Tea.
The Puzzling Case of Usman Khawaja
The day's biggest talking point emerged off the field, creating a major selection headache for the home side. Opener Usman Khawaja left the field for a mysterious 30-minute period during England's innings.
This absence meant he was ineligible to open the batting immediately after the innings concluded, forcing debutant Jake Weatherald to face the new ball without his intended partner. The situation left commentators, including Ricky Ponting, baffled.
"We've heard different messages already," Ponting noted on the Seven broadcast. "The first time we heard it was a toilet break, and that was thirty minutes... hopefully by the end of the day or tomorrow morning, we get the true story."
The disruption seemed to affect the Australian top order. Weatherald was dismissed for a two-ball duck, Marnus Labuschagne chopped on for nine, and Khawaja himself, batting at number four, fell for just two to a sharp short ball from Brydon Carse.
England's Pace and Problems
England's day was not without its bright spots. The sight of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer operating at extreme pace provided a thrilling spectacle. Wood clocked 151km/h in his second over, while Archer was consistently around the 145km/h mark.
Their terrifying control had the Australian batters struggling, and the revival of the Archer versus Smith rivalry was a tantalising subplot. However, their impact was limited by brief initial spells, raising questions about their workload management for the remainder of the series.
Other issues plagued the tourists, including a painfully slow over rate from both sides and the continued debate around 'Bazball' after another batting implosion saw them throw away a position of relative strength with a series of reckless shots.
