Travis Head’s explosive 123 and Mitchell Starc’s ten-wicket haul lead Australia to eight-wicket win in Ashes opener over England

Australia produced a dominating performance to beat England by eight wickets in the opening Test of the Ashes 2025 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Travis Head and star speedster Mitchell Starc played a crucial role for the hosts as the batter smashed an explosive 123 off just 43 balls, and the speedster's historic ten-wicket haul, helped Australia chase down 205 with ease.

England's first innings

After winning the toss, England batted first but struggled against Australia’s pace attack. Starc removed Joe Root for a duck and ended the innings with seven wickets in the match, while Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland shared the remaining wickets. England were eventually bowled out for 172, with Harry Brook (52) and Jamie Smith (33) offering some resistance.

Australia's first innings

Australia also failed to get a good start in the first innings as they were bundled out for just 132, trailing England by 40 runs. With debutant opener Jake Weatherald (0), Marnus Labuschagne (9), Steve Smith (17), and Usman Khawaja (2) unable to settle. Cameron Green (24) and Travis Head (21) tried to shift the momentum of the game, but Ben Stokes’ pace and the bounce from Brydon Carse (3/45) and Jofra Archer (2/11) kept Australia under pressure.

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England's second innings

England started their second innings needing to extend the lead, but their middle and lower order collapsed under Starc and Boland’s combined assault. Starc removed Ben Stokes for just two runs and Joe Root for eight, completing his ten-wicket haul for the match, which is a remarkable achievement that made him the first Australian pacer to reach this milestone in the Ashes since Craig McDermott in 1990/91. Scott Boland supported brilliantly with four wickets, including crucial breakthroughs in quick succession. England were eventually bowled out for 164, setting Australia a target of 205.

Australia's second innings

Australia’s chase was led by Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, who came together after Jake Weatherald contributed 23 runs. Head played a breathtaking innings of 123 off 83, while Labuschagne chipped in with 51 off 49 balls. After Travis Head's wicket, Steve Smith joined Labuschagne for the chase when the hosts needed 13 runs to win the clash. Smith finished off the chase with a single. With this win, Australia takes a 1-0 lead in the five-Test match series. The second clash will take place from December 4 to 8 at the iconic Gabba Stadium in Brisbane.