IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Ashes Test played in Perth on Friday.
Australia trailed England by 49 runs on 123-9 at the end of an extraordinary opening day of the Ashes series on Friday at Perth Stadium, where bowlers had very much the upper hand and a remarkable 19 wickets fell.
Mitchell Starc, spearheading the home attack in the absence of the injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, took a career-best 7-58 as Australia dismissed the tourists for 172 before tea.
The large visiting contingent in the crowd of 51,531 were soon in full voice, however, as England skipper Ben Stokes led a pace counter-offensive to rip through the Australian batting order and claim his own five-wicket haul with figures of 5-23.
Nathan Lyon, who was three not out, and debutant quick Brendan Doggett, who had yet to score, will resume on day two looking to cut a few more runs off the deficit.
The action-packed opening day, which saw more wickets fall on any single day of an Ashes test since 1909, evoked memories of the first day of last year's test between Australia and India at the same stadium when 17 first-day wickets fell.
Late in the second session, debutant Jake Weatherald opened for Australia but his stint was short-lived as he was given out lbw for a second-ball duck to Jofra Archer, who took 2-11 in nine overs.
Consistently bowling at speeds of nearly 150 kph, Archer and Wood set the tone for the tourists, ably supported by Stokes and Carse, who pitched in with 2-45.
Archer soon had Labuschagne, opening for Usman Khawaja who had been off the field for too long at the end of England's innings, chopping onto his stumps for nine trying to leave a short ball.
The locals were roughed up by several body blows, with stand-in skipper Steve Smith, who made 17, and Khawaja, who scored two, ultimately departing in quick succession to Carse.
Stokes quickly accounted for Green for 24, Starc for 12 and Carey for 26 and completed his sixth test "five-fer" when Scott Boland edged the ball to Brook for zero.
Australia got their Ashes defence off to the perfect start on Friday with frontline quick Mitchell Starc decimating England's batting lineup by claiming a career-best 7-58 to help bowl the visitors out for 172 before tea on day one of the Perth Test.
The hosts trailed by 157 runs in the first innings, entering the tea break on 15-1 after debutant opener Jake Weatherald departed for a second-ball duck, lbw to paceman Jofra Archer.
After a fiery opening session where Starc picked up three of the four English wickets to fall, including Zak Crawley in the first over for a duck, the 35-year-old firebrand returned from lunch with a 141 kph inswinger which clean-bowled captain Ben Stokes for six.
Harry Brook counter-attacked with a 61-ball 52 before tamely gloving debutant seamer Brendan Doggett (2-27) to keeper Alex Carey.
The wheels then fell off completely for England as their aggressive 'Bazball' approach saw the last four wickets add only 12 runs.
Starc, standing tall in the absence of injured stalwarts Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, was mobbed by teammates in the 31st over when he had Gus Atkinson (one) caught in the slips to record his fifth Ashes five-wicket haul and 17th overall.
A first-ball Mark Wood duck, top-edging Starc to Carey, concluded England's innings.
Marnus Labuschagne (six not out) took the place of opener Usman Khawaja, who had been off the field for too long, to begin Australia's reply.
Following Weatherald's departure Labuschagne was joined at the crease by Steve Smith (seven not out), standing in as captain for Cummins, with the two batsmen surviving a hostile spell of fast bowling in which Archer and Wood touched 150 kph.
Australia got their Ashes defence off to the perfect start on Friday with frontline quick Mitchell Starc scorching England's top order by claiming three wickets before lunch on day one in Perth, reducing the visitors to 105-4.
The hosts, who have held the coveted urn since 2017-18, entered the contest with a pace attack depleted by injuries to captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, but Starc (3-24) shouldered the additional burden with ease.
England, who won the toss, opted for all-out pace on a deck known for assisting seamers, favouring Brydon Carse over spinner Shoaib Bashir, while Australia selected two debutants in fast bowler Brendan Doggett and opener Jake Weatherald.
Starc served up searing pace in the first over to tempt Zak Crawley into an off-drive with a 144 kph delivery angled across the body and edged to Usman Khawaja at first slip for a six-ball duck.
Starc followed that up with a full inswinger in the seventh over to trap Ben Duckett (21) leg-before.
The 35-year-old then earned his 100th Ashes wicket by squaring up a nervy Joe Root with a ball that found Marnus Labuschagne at third slip before the England batter had got off the mark.
All-rounder Cameron Green, fit after recovering from a back injury which had held him back from bowling in tests since March 2024, also joined the act by having Ollie Pope adjudged lbw for 46.
England batsman Harry Brook (28) and skipper Ben Stokes (four) were both unbeaten at the break.
Earlier, England elected to bat first against Australia in the Ashes series opener on Friday after captain Ben Stokes won the toss under clear blue skies at Perth Stadium.
After naming a 12-man squad for the match, the visitors opted for all-out pace in the starting side, leaving out off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in favour of Brydon Carse.
"We'll try and get some runs on the board and then see where we are then," Stokes said. "We've got to clear all of what we want to achieve out here in Australia, it starts today."
Australia's Steve Smith, standing in as captain for the injured Pat Cummins, struck an optimistic tone after losing the toss.
"Hopefully it seams all over the place this morning. I think the cracks will come into play, they seem to every year," said Smith. "I think if we get the ball in the right areas this morning, there'll be enough there for sure."
Australia awarded first Test caps to specialist opener Jake Weatherald and fast bowler Brendan Doggett, who put his hand up for selection with 13 wickets in two matches for South Australia in a dynamic start to the domestic Sheffield Shield season.
"He sort of glides through the crease, makes it look pretty easy," pace spearhead Mitchell Starc said of Doggett.
"So, yeah, he's got some air speed, he's got some great skills, some swing, some seam and he's coming off a hot streak, so hopefully that continues this week."
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood