England chose to bat first, but the innings fell apart from the opening over. Mitchell Starc struck right away. He removed Zak Crawley with a ball that moved away. He then dismissed Ben Duckett with a swinging delivery. Soon after, he sent back Joe Root for a seven-ball duck.
England never looked settled. Starc kept finding movement and forced England into mistakes. By lunch, England were 105 for 4 in 23 overs and already under heavy pressure.
The collapse continued after the break. Starc bowled the England captain soon after lunch. He then removed Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood. His pace stayed sharp. His spell kept breaking England’s resistance.
Brendan Doggett, the aborigine fast bowler on debut, also impressed. He dismissed Harry Brook on 52 to claim his first Test wicket. He finished with two wickets in the innings.
England were bowled out for 172. Starc finished with 7 for 58, his best Ashes figures. It came on the same day he reached 100 Ashes wickets in his 100th Test. It was a dominant display that gave Australia full control.
