In just five wild hours at Perth Stadium, England’s strong position collapsed into an eight-wicket loss as the first Ashes Test ended shockingly inside two days. After a dramatic opening day where 19 wickets fell, Australia turned the match around on Day 2 with outstanding bowling from Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc, who together dismantled England’s second-innings batting.
England began the day ahead and looked comfortable at 65 for 1, giving them a lead of 105. But everything changed when Boland struck. England suddenly lost four wickets for just 11 runs in 19 balls. What followed was a complete batting failure. England lost nine wickets for 99 runs in the middle session, handing momentum fully to Australia. Many of England’s top-order batters fell to loose shots, edging behind the wicket. Joe Root also suffered a second straight failure, inside-edging Starc while attempting an ambitious drive.
Boland, who had been expensive in England’s first innings, found his rhythm this time. He shortened his length and removed Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook in quick succession. Starc, fresh off his career-best 7 for 58 in the first innings, returned when the pressure was building and immediately broke through. He dismissed Root and then removed Ben Stokes for the 11th time in Tests with a swinging delivery that caught the outside edge.
England showed only brief resistance through Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson, who added 47 runs by attacking Australia’s short-ball strategy. But debutant Brendan Doggett eventually ended the innings, finishing with five wickets on debut. England’s collapse was reminiscent of many past struggles on Australian soil.
Australia needed 205 runs to win—normally a tricky target in bowler-friendly conditions. But makeshift opener Travis Head turned the chase into a run-fest. With Usman Khawaja troubled by back spasms, Head was promoted to open and made the most of it. He smashed 123 from just 83 balls, reaching his century in only 69 deliveries—one of the fastest Test hundreds by an Australian.
Head attacked England’s bowlers from the start, hammering boundaries through the off-side and even hitting Ben Stokes for four fours in one over. He also handled Mark Wood’s short-pitched bowling bravely. His aggressive style mirrored England’s own “Bazball” approach, but this time England were on the receiving end. Jake Weatherald, the debutant opener who made a duck in the first innings, played more confidently and made 23 before falling to a short ball.
Australia raced to victory in only 28.2 overs, scoring at over seven runs per over—an extraordinary rate for Test cricket. Marnus Labuschagne supported Head with an unbeaten 51 off 49 balls, and captain Steven Smith hit the winning run, sparking big celebrations.
All this unfolded after Australia had started the day struggling at 123 for 9. Although England held a 40-run first-innings lead, they could not build on it. Once Boland and Starc swung the momentum, Australia never let go.
The match, ending in under two days, will be remembered for its speed, drama, and England’s sudden collapse that completely changed the direction of the Ashes opener.