England and Australia’s opening batsmen struggled to score runs in three innings during the first Ashes Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
The first Ashes began at the Optus Stadium in Perth as the two giants of the game, Australia and England, faced off against each other. The bowlers of both the teams dominated in both the innings on the first day.
Australia bowled first and Mitchell Starc made the most of the conditions; However, despite the carnage with the ball, the English made a comeback with the bat. Despite the low score of 172 runs in the first innings, they took a lead of 40 runs in the first innings.
The opening batsmen failed in all three innings during the first Ashes Test.
During the first Ashes Test, the English batsmen came to bat first and Mitchell Starc dismissed Jack Crawley for a duck in the very first over of the match. This led to the first opening partnership ending without any runs on the board.
Australian debutant Jack Weatherald came to bat in the second innings and was out for a duck in the very first over off the bowling of Jofra Archer. This is the second partnership to fail between opening batsmen in the game.
The third such incident was repeated in the third innings when Mitchell Starc once again dismissed English opener Jack Crawley without opening the account. For the first time in the history of Test cricket, batsmen failed to form an opening partnership in three consecutive innings.
This is the first time in Test history that the opening partnership has failed to score a single run in the first three innings of a match. pic.twitter.com/Y2mDiUrQDz
– ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) 22 November 2025
Jack Crawley made an unwanted record for England
England opening batsman Jack Crawley holds several records for England in the longest format of the game. However, Crawley made two consecutive ducks in two innings of the game in Perth.
This has taken him to a new record in Test cricket, as Crawley is the first England opener to score a pair in men’s Test since former England captain Mike Atherton, who achieved this formidable record during the Test against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1999.
Mitchell Starc roars with 10 wickets in Perth
Australia’s experienced fast bowler Mitchell Starc roared in Perth in the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. He got things done when it mattered most. Starc took 10 wickets at the Optus Stadium.
He took 7 wickets in the first innings, his best bowling figures in the longest format of the game. Starc once again performed better than Jack Crawley, Joe Root and Ben Stokes in the second innings. This is Mitchell Starc’s third 10-wicket haul in the longest format of the game.
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