England slumped to a dispiriting defeat in the opening Ashes Test in Perth as Australia clinched victory within just two days. Although it is not uncommon for Test matches to finish early and not make use of the full five days, this was the first time an Ashes Test had not made it to the third day since 1921!
So, as painful as it might be for frustrated England fans, let’s take a look back at how the home side got off to a winning start to the 2025/26 Ashes series.
A First Innings to Forget for Both Sets of Batters
A remarkable West Test #Ashes pic.twitter.com/DPvUOsfZLc
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) November 23, 2025
An Ashes Test Down Under is never an easy task, and there have been some awful starts in the past, with the first-ball dismissal of Rory Burns by Mitchell Starc at The Gabba in December 2021 being a prime example. And it was Starc who did the early damage in England’s first innings as he dispatched Zak Crawley for nought off just the sixth ball, Usman Khawaja taking the catch at first slip. Crawley was the first of four England players to fail to score, with Joe Root and Mark Wood also falling to Starc for ducks, and Jofra Archer being the last man in the middle, albeit without a run.
Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope at least got scores on the board after that (21 and 46, respectively). Harry Brook was the only Englishman to make a half-century, but his knock of 52 was halted when caught behind by Alex Carey. In the end, England were all out for just 172, with Starc taking an impressive seven wickets for 58 runs.
The Aussies came in with high hopes, but they had an even worse start than the tourists when the debutant Jake Weatherald was given the job to open the batting, and he lasted all of two balls as Archer’s ball struck his pads and – after a review – it was adjudged to be lbw. The Australian batters proved even less effective than England’s as the tourists’ five-pronged bowling attack scythed through the likes of Marnus Labuschagne (for 9 runs), the usually steely Steve Smith (for 17), and Khawaja (for 2).
Travis Head, Cameron Green and Alex Carey each made it into the 20s, before a complete collapse left the home side all out for just 132 at the beginning of day two, giving the travelling fans hope of a victory that looked unlikely to say the least after the initial England batting collapse. Captain Ben Stokes had the best figures of five wickets for just 23 runs, while Brydon Carse added 3-45, and Archer 2-11.
Hopeful Start for England Soon Evaporates
England’s second innings got off to an appalling start as Crawley was once again out for a duck, caught and bowled by Starc off the fifth ball. But their hopes of victory grew when no more wickets fell before lunch, as Duckett and Pope put together a nice partnership (at least relative to what had come before in the match), leaving England on 59-1. Whatever Stokes’ side had for lunch didn’t sit well, as things went badly wrong when they returned.
First, Duckett edged one to Smith at second slip, leaving England on 65-2, and Pope was dismissed not long after, making it 76-3… but then it quickly became 76-4 and then 76-5 as England’s resistance crumbled. Gus Atkinson top-scored with 37, but overall this was another awful batting display as England were out all for 164, leaving Australia with a target of 205 to win. Ordinarily, that would be seen as relatively easy, but in the context of this match, and the way England had bowled in Australia’s first innings, it looked a tough ask.
After three innings of poor shots and low scores from both sides, the bowlers had been very much in the ascendancy. But in Australia’s second innings, England couldn’t get a break, and Travis Head, who’d been shifted to the top of the order after an injury to Usman Khawaja, took full advantage. In what will surely go down as one of the great Ashes innings, Head smashed the England bowlers all around the ground to score an impressive 123 runs off just 83 balls. When he was finally caught by Ollie Pope from a Brydon Carse ball, the Aussies were on 192-2, and it was inevitable they’d make short work of the target of 205.
Lessons to Be Learned for Gung-Ho England
A disappointing start to the series.
We’re beaten in Perth. pic.twitter.com/gsmjButBLy
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 22, 2025
The nature of the defeat will be particularly sickening for the England side – not to mention their travelling fans – given the tourists had bowled themselves into a really strong position after the first innings. Head’s match-winning display should give the England batters food for thought as the man from Adelaide played plenty of expansive shots, but – crucially – he left a few, too, something England’s players appear almost unable to do at present.
The inevitable waves of criticism have swept in after England’s defeat, from fans and pundits alike. The gist appears to be that Australia adapted to the pitch and the match far better than England, and the tourists’ apparent refusal to change their style of play cost them dearly. To lose all 20 wickets in fewer than 68 overs is unforgivable at this level, and England fans will be hoping their batters prioritise time in the middle over flashy shots in the next Test in Brisbane, which starts on 4th December.