Australia’s veteran left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc delivered a spell for the ages, taking 7/58 to dismantle England for just 172 on Day 1 of the 1st Ashes Test 2025-26 at Perth Stadium.
On a fast, bouncy Perth pitch, Starc mixed high pace, steep bounce and late movement to crush England’s aggressive “Bazball” approach and put Australia in control of the series opener.
Match Overview – England All Out for 172, Australia 19/1
- Match: Australia vs England, 1st Test, The Ashes 2025-26
- Venue: Perth Stadium, Perth
- Toss: England won and opted to bat
- England 1st innings: 172 all out in 32.5 overs
- Australia 1st innings: 19/1 in 12.2 overs (trail by 153 runs at Day 1, Session 3)
England came out attacking but crashed from a strong position as Starc ripped through their batting order.
In reply, Australia had a shaky start, losing debutant Jake Weatherald for a silver duck (0 off 2) to Jofra Archer, before Marnus Labuschagne (9 off 36)* and Steve Smith (8 off 37)* dug in under a fierce fast-bowling assault to take the hosts to 19/1.
Mitchell Starc’s Spell: 7/58 That Changed the Day
Starc’s figures tell the story:
Mitchell Starc’s Bowling Figures vs England (1st Test, Perth)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Starc | 12.5 | 4 | 58 | 7 | 4.50 |
| Scott Boland | 10.0 | 0 | 62 | 0 | 6.20 |
| Brendan Doggett | 7.0 | 1 | 27 | 2 | 3.90 |
| Nathan Lyon | 2.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 |
| Cameron Green | 1.0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 10.00 |
Starc struck in his very first over, removing Zak Crawley for 0. He kept attacking the stumps and the top of off, swinging and seaming the ball at good pace.
Key dismissals for Starc included:
- Zak Crawley – 0 (c Khawaja)
- Ben Duckett – 21 (lbw)
- Joe Root – 0 (caught)
- Ben Stokes – 6 (bowled by a ripper)
- Jamie Smith – 33 (caught in deep leg side)
- Gus Atkinson – 1 (caught at slip)
- Mark Wood – 0 (caught behind square)
Every time England tried to counter-attack, Starc came back with a big wicket.
England’s Top Scorers – Starts, But No Big Partnership
Despite their attacking intent, England’s innings never fully settled.
England 1st Innings – Key Batting Contributions
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Brook | 52 | 61 | 5 | 1 | 85.25 |
| Ollie Pope | 46 | 58 | 4 | 0 | 79.31 |
| Jamie Smith | 33 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Ben Duckett | 21 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 105.00 |
| Brydon Carse | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
Every time a partnership looked dangerous, Australia – and especially Starc – found a breakthrough.
- Brook and Pope gave England hope with positive strokeplay.
- Jamie Smith’s quick-fire 33 off 22 balls pushed the total closer to 170.
- But Starc and debutant Brendan Doggett kept hitting back with wickets at crucial moments.
Starc’s Red-Hot Ashes Form – 30 Wickets in Last 8 Innings
Before this Test, Starc was already in brilliant Ashes form. In his last 8 Ashes innings, he had the following returns:
3/88, 3/79, 2/59, 5/78, 2/137, 4/82, 4/100, 7/58*
That’s 30 wickets in 8 Ashes innings – proof of his consistency and threat with the red ball in this rivalry.
Mitchell Starc – Last 8 Ashes Innings (Wickets)
| Ashes Innings | Bowling Figures | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3/88 | 3 |
| 2 | 3/79 | 3 |
| 3 | 2/59 | 2 |
| 4 | 5/78 | 5 |
| 5 | 2/137 | 2 |
| 6 | 4/82 | 4 |
| 7 | 4/100 | 4 |
| 8 | 7/58* | 7 |
| Total | – | 30 |
The 7/58 at Perth is the latest and the best of this golden Ashes run.
Records & Milestones from Starc’s 7/58
From the info given, several big milestones were highlighted around Starc’s performance:
Starc’s Best Test Innings Figures
| Figures | Opposition | Venue | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/58 | England | Perth | THIS TEST – career-best |
| 6/9 | West Indies | Kingston | Earlier in 2025 |
| 6/48 | India | Adelaide | 2024 |
Best Test Bowling in an Innings at Perth (Tests)
| Figures | Bowler | Team | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/58 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | England | 2025* |
| 6/56 | Mohammed Shami | India | Australia | 2018 |
| 6/111 | Aamer Jamal | Pakistan | Australia | 2023 |
| 6/128 | Nathan Lyon | Australia | West Indies | 2022 |
Read more: Top 11 Best Yorker Bowlers in Cricket History
Left-Arm Legends – Most Test 5-Wicket Hauls in an Innings in Australia
| Bowler | 5-fers in Australia |
|---|---|
| Mitchell Starc | 9* |
| Alan Davidson | 8 |
| Mitchell Johnson | 7 |
Starc has now moved to the top of this list, underlining his status as one of the greatest left-arm pacers to bowl in Australia.
Shortest Ashes First Innings on Australian Soil (By Balls)
England’s collapse also entered the record books for how quickly it happened.
Shortest First Innings in Ashes Tests in Australia (By Balls)
| Balls | Team | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 143 | England | Australia | Sydney | 1887 |
| 193 | Australia | England | Melbourne | 1902 |
| 197 | England | Australia | Perth | 2025* |
| 234 | England | Australia | WACA | 1998 |
| 241 | England | Australia | Melbourne | 1894 |
Being bowled out in 197 balls (32.5 overs) reflects how brutally Australia, led by Starc, attacked England’s ultra-positive batting style.
Support Cast: Doggett Impresses on Debut, Green Strikes
While Starc took the headlines, he wasn’t alone:
- Brendan Doggett (2/27 in 7 overs) – on Test debut, he dismissed Harry Brook (52) and Brydon Carse, including a nasty bouncer that hit Carse on the helmet before getting him caught at long leg.
- Cameron Green (1/10 in 1 over) – brought in for a single over and made it count by dismissing a well-set Ollie Pope (46) just before he could reach a half-century.
Doggett’s aggressive short-ball plan, especially to the lower order, gave Australia extra firepower alongside Starc’s magic.
Like to know? Top 10 Most Dangerous Bowlers in World
Australia’s Reply – Smith & Labuschagne Fight on a Tough Pitch
Chasing 172, Australia did not have it easy against a fired-up English pace attack.
Australia 1st Innings – Early Score (Day 1, Session 3)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Weatherald | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | lbw Archer |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 9* | 36 | 1 | 0 | not out |
| Steve Smith (c) | 8* | 37 | 0 | 0 | not out |
England Bowlers – Early Pressure
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jofra Archer | 4.2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1.20 |
| Gus Atkinson | 4.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.50 |
| Mark Wood | 2.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Brydon Carse | 2.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 |
Key points:
- Jake Weatherald fell lbw to Archer for 0, becoming an Australian opener dismissed for a duck on Test debut vs England.
- Usman Khawaja couldn’t open because he’d been off the field for too long due to injury, forcing a new combination at the top.
- Smith and Labuschagne absorbed a hostile spell, with Smith even getting hit on the right elbow multiple times by Gus Atkinson and Archer, yet he continued batting with a “poker face.”
Australia finished the session on 19/1, still 153 runs behind, but with their two best batters at the crease.
Why Starc’s Spell Matters for the Rest of the Ashes
Mitchell Starc’s 7/58 does more than just give Australia a first-innings advantage:
- It sends a strong message that Australia’s pace attack still rules at home, even without Cummins and Hazlewood playing this game.
- It exposes the risk in England’s ultra-attacking style when conditions favour fast bowling.
- It boosts Starc’s legacy in Ashes history, adding another iconic performance to his already impressive record.
If he continues in this form, Starc could become the defining bowler of the Ashes 2025-26, just as he has already dominated the last few Ashes innings.
Conclusion
Day 1 at Perth Stadium belonged to Mitchell Starc.
With career-best figures of 7/58, key top-order wickets, and a bag full of records, he turned England’s brave decision to bat first into a disaster. Backed by debutant Brendan Doggett and an all-rounder strike from Cameron Green, Starc put Australia in charge of the Ashes opener.
Now, all eyes turn to Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, who must convert this bowling dominance into a strong first-innings lead. But whatever happens next, Starc’s 7-for will be remembered as one of the great Ashes spells at Perth.
