Last Updated:November 21, 2025, 12:10 IST
Usman Khawaja did not open, and Jake Weatherald fell LBW to Jofra Archer on debut after Mitchell Starc took 7-58 as Australia dominated England, who were bowled out for 172.
Australia opener Usman Khawaja (PTI/AP)
Usman Khawaja did not open for Australia as Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne walked out to bat in the first Test between Australia and England at the Perth Stadium.
Cricket Australia, as per reports, reasoned that the opener had taken ‘toilet breaks and stretching’. On Friday, the Aussie had spent a significant amount of time off the field and had limited time on the field after his return as England were dismissed for a mere 172 in their first innings.
Weatherald’s stay at the crease was not long on his debut as he was trapped LBW by Jofra Archer. On the second ball of the innings, the English pacer bowled a snorter of a yorker. After the umpires ruled not out, Ben Stokes had a chat with his team and opted for the review. Weatherald was beaten by the pace off the deck and fell over as he looked to flick the ball to the leg side. He was pinged on the front pad as the third umpire gave him out with no bat involved.
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Earlier, Mitchell Starc took 7-58 after Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first. At a packed Perth Stadium, the visitors had few answers to the 35-year-old fast bowler. Starc’s haul came off 12.5 overs with debutant Brendan Doggett contributing with 2-27.
Harry Brook (52) and Ollie Pope (46) offered the only resistance as England crumbled after lunch.
Starc bagged three wickets in an intimidating opening spell, including Joe Root for a duck, before returning to dismiss Stokes in his first over after the break, then mopping up.
All five previous Tests at the venue have been won by the side batting first, but England did their best to challenge that.
They got off to a horror start, rocked in the opening over after Starc was handed the new ball in his 101st Test.
The veteran strike bowler delivered as he has so many times before, enticing a thick edge from Zak Crawley that Usman Khawaja did well to collect down low at slip, the opener gone for nought.
Starc has now taken a wicket in the first over of an innings 24 times.
At the other end, Ben Duckett settled his nerves with a textbook drive off Scott Boland to score the first four of the series and followed it up with another in the same over.
But just as the left-hander was getting going, Starc pounced again, trapping him lbw for 21 to leave England tottering on 33-2.
That brought Root to the crease in his latest campaign for an elusive first century in Australia.
But he only lasted seven balls, edging a seaming delivery into the safe hands of Marnus Labuschagne at third slip.
Pope survived the pressure and was composed before Cameron Green was brought into the attack and he was out lbw, leaving them on 105-4 at lunch.
Brook hit Boland for a six in the first over after the break before Starc again worked his magic, taking out Stokes’s stumps with an inswinger when the captain was on six.
A fearless Brook was unperturbed and raced to his 14th Test half-century off 58 balls before feathering a short ball to Alex Carey, earning Doggett his maiden Test wicket on debut.
Starc then removed Gus Atkinson (one) with Steve Smith collecting at slip to give him the 17th five-wicket haul of his career.
Doggett and Starc ruthlessly wrapped up the tail with little resistance.
England, who have not won a series in Australia for 15 years, opted for an all-pace attack with spinner Shoaib Bashir missing out.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
First Published:
November 21, 2025, 12:08 IST
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