Perth: Veteran pacer Mitchell Starc ripped apart England’s top order in the first Test in Perth, taking three wickets early on to become just the 21st bowler – and the 13th Australian – to reach 100 Ashes wickets.
He achieved this feat in just 23 Tests, clearly demonstrating his dominance in this iconic contest. Starc also equaled Curtly Ambrose’s 405 Test wickets and is now very close to Wasim Akram’s 414, the most Test wickets taken by a left-arm fast bowler.
In his 100th Test, Starc’s all-round value is evident as the left-arm bowler has scored 2,322 runs, including 11 fifties, with a highest score of 99.
In both teams’ current squads, only Nathan Lyon (110) and Starc are the two bowlers to have taken 100 or more wickets in the Ashes.
For England, captain Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are the most successful bowlers in the series with 41 wickets each.
Earlier, Stokes won the toss at Perth Stadium and elected to bat first, as the visitors selected four pacers and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir from their 12-man squad.
On the other hand, Australia handed maiden Test caps to opening batsman Jake Weatherald and fast bowler Brendan Doggett, the latter earning his place after a stellar debut in the Sheffield Shield, taking 13 wickets in two matches for South Australia.
England’s first session was poor, as they lost opener Zak Crawley in the very first over off Starc. The left-arm pacer also dismissed Ben Duckett (21) and Joe Root (0) in quick succession, leaving the visitors reeling at 39/3. However, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook rallied the innings with a 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket, before being trapped lbw in front of the wicket by Cameron Green. Pope departed for 46, leaving England 105/4 at lunch, with Brook unbeaten on 28 and Ben Stokes not out on 4.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc became the 13th player to take 100 Ashes wickets
