Mitchell Starc ignited the 2025-26 Ashes with a dream start on Friday morning, removing England opener Zak Crawley with the final ball of the very first over at Optus Stadium. The left-arm quick’s vicious outswinger took a thick outside edge, comfortably pouched by Usman Khawaja at first slip, sending the packed Perth crowd into delirium and giving Australia the perfect beginning after being asked to bowl first.

The wicket marked the 24th time in Test cricket that Starc has struck in the opening over of an innings—an all-time record. Since his debut in 2011, no bowler has claimed more first-over scalps; James Anderson trails in second place with 19. Fifteen of Starc’s dismissals have come since 2015, underlining his enduring potency with the new ball.

Leading an injury-hit Australian attack in the absence of captain Pat Cummins and spearhead Josh Hazlewood, Starc shouldered extra responsibility with aplomb. Stand-in skipper Steve Smith handed him the new cherry, and the 35-year-old responded by bowling with fire and precision on a lively Perth surface offering seam movement and bounce under overcast skies.

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Five overs later, Starc doubled the damage by trapping Ben Duckett plumb lbw for 21 off 20 balls, leaving England reeling at 34 for 2. He soon added the prized scalp of Joe Root for a seven-ball duck, completing a remarkable spell that left the tourists staggering at 50 for 3 inside the first hour.

England captain Ben Stokes had won the toss and opted to bat, banking on early moisture to settle before the pitch flattened out. Instead, his aggressive “Bazball” side faced immediate examination from a reinvigorated Australian unit featuring debutants Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett alongside veterans Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon.

By lunch on day one, England limped to 78 for 3, with Ollie Pope (36*) and Harry Brook (13*) offering tentative resistance. Starc’s triple strike not only vindicated Smith’s faith but also reaffirmed his status as one of the most feared new-ball operators in Test history, setting the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested Ashes summer.

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