Ben Stokes starred in the Ashes opener with a vital five-wicket haul after England were dismissed for 172. His spell put Australia on the back foot and made him only the third Ashes captain to score a century and take a five-for. He scored a century in Leeds in 2022.
England captain Ben Stokes produced a historic performance in the opening Ashes Test at Perth Stadium. The 34-year-old led from the front with a stunning five-wicket haul that left Australia reeling at 123/9, still 49 runs behind England’s first-innings total.
Earlier in the match, England struggled with the bat as Australian pacer Mitchell Starc tore through their lineup, taking seven wickets and dismissing the visitors for just 172. Needing a special effort in the second innings, Stokes delivered exactly that. He removed Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Starc and Scott Boland, putting Australia under heavy pressure on their home turf.
With this five-wicket haul, Stokes became only the third captain in Ashes history to create a major record. Along with England’s Stanley Jackson and Australia’s Monty Noble, the all-rounder now holds the record of scoring a century and claiming a five-for as captain in the Ashes.
Century and five-wicket haul in the Ashes as captain:
| Stanley Jackson |
| Monty Noble |
| Ben Stokes |
19 wickets fell on Day 1
A total of 19 wickets fell on Day 1 of the opening Ashes Test of the series. For England, Harry Brook showed immense maturity, scoring 52 runs, while Jamie Smith supported him well with a quickfire 33. Ollie Pope played an important knock of 46 runs as well. However, the visitors will have to change the Bazball strategy to do better with the bat.
They lost the majority of the batters due to playing an aggressive brand of cricket, something that former cricketer Stuart Broad analysed on commentary. If England doesn’t change their strategy, England are likely to suffer again in the remaining Tests.
Meanwhile, Joe Root, who was the centre of attention ahead of the Ashes. The former England captain has a dismal record in Down Under and on Friday, November 21, he registered a seven-ball duck, which only invited more criticism. However, the goal for England will now be to perform better in the second innings to put more pressure on the hosts.