Ashes 2025 First Test: Australia Crush England in a Historic Two-Day Finish at Perth

The 2025-26 Ashes series has begun with unprecedented drama as the first Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium concluded in just two days, marking one of the shortest matches in Ashes history. Australia emerged victorious by eight wickets, thanks to a breathtaking century from Travis Head that will be remembered for generations. The Ashes 2025 first test completed in just two days.

Match Summary: A Tale of Two Days

Final Score:

England: 172 & 164
Australia: 132 & 205/2 (28.2 overs)
Result: Australia won by 8 wickets

Day 1: Bowling Carnage as 19 Wickets Fall

The opening day witnessed unprecedented chaos at Perth Stadium as 19 wickets tumbled in what became a bowler’s paradise. England won the toss and elected to bat but were bundled out for a mere 172 runs in just 32.5 overs, marking the third-shortest first innings in Ashes history on Australian soil.

Mitchell Starc was the destroyer-in-chief for Australia, claiming career-best figures of 7-58. His spell included dismissing England opener Zak Crawley for a duck on the sixth ball of the match, setting the tone for England’s collapse. However, Australia’s response was equally disastrous as Ben Stokes led England’s fightback with a five-wicket haul, bowling out the hosts for just 132 runs and handing England a crucial 40-run first-innings lead.

Day 2: England’s Collapse and Head’s Masterclass

The second day began with promise for England but quickly descended into chaos. During a calamitous middle session, England lost 9 wickets for just 99 runs. The collapse was spearheaded by Scott Boland, who redeemed himself after an expensive first innings by dismissing Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook in quick succession.

England’s batting woes continued as Joe Root completed a rare double failure, while Mitchell Starc added crucial wickets to finish with 10 wickets for the match. England were eventually dismissed for 164, setting Australia a target of 205 runs.

Travis Head’s Record-Breaking Century

What followed was one of the greatest fourth-innings knocks in Test cricket history. Travis Head, promoted to open the innings in place of injured Usman Khawaja, played a breathtaking innings of 123 runs off just 83 balls. His century came off only 69 balls, making it the fastest hundred in the fourth innings in Test cricket history and the second-fastest in Ashes history.

Head’s innings featured 10 boundaries and 4 sixes as he attacked from the outset, treating the England bowlers with disdain. He shared a crucial 100-plus partnership with Marnus Labuschagne, who remained unbeaten on 51 off 49 balls. Australia chased down the target in a mere 28.2 overs, scoring at more than seven runs per over.

Key Performers Ashes 2025 First Test

Australia’s Heroes

Mitchell Starc: 10 wickets in the match (7-58 & 3 wickets)
Travis Head: 123 off 83 balls in the fourth innings
Scott Boland: Match-turning spell in England’s second innings
Marnus Labuschagne: 51 not out, providing crucial support

England’s Struggles

Ben Stokes: 5 wickets in Australia’s first innings
Brydon Carse: 3 wickets with the ball but couldn’t prevent the loss
Batting Collapse: Four of England’s top six nicked off to quality bowling

Historic Significance

This match will go down in Ashes folklore for several reasons:

Seventh two-day Ashes Test: Only the seventh Ashes Test to finish within two days
Shortest completed Test: The match became the shortest game in history to produce a result based on the number of balls bowled
Indigenous Milestone: Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland became the first two indigenous players to play together in an Australian men’s Test team
Head’s Fourth-Innings Heroics: Travis Head’s knock ranks among the greatest fourth-innings performances in Ashes history

What This Means for the Series

Australia’s dominant victory gives them a crucial 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The win also strengthens their position at the top of the ICC World Test Championship points table, keeping them on pace for another appearance in the 2027 WTC Final.

For England, this crushing defeat extends their 13-year wait for a Test win on Australian soil. The tourists have now lost three consecutive series Down Under by a combined margin of 13-0. England captain Ben Stokes admitted to being “shell-shocked” by Travis Head’s extraordinary batting display.

Looking Ahead

The second Test is scheduled to begin on December 4 at The Gabba in Brisbane as a day-night match. England will need to regroup quickly and find answers to Australia’s pace attack, particularly Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, who were virtually unplayable in Perth conditions.

Australia will look to capitalize on this momentum and push for another series victory on home soil. With Travis Head in this kind of form and their pace battery firing, they appear well-positioned to retain the Ashes once again.

Player of the Match

Mitchell Starc was awarded Player of the Match for his 10-wicket haul, though Travis Head’s match-winning century was equally deserving of recognition. As Starc noted in his post-match interview, Head’s knock was something special to witness.

Next Match: 2nd Test, The Gabba, Brisbane (December 4-8, 2025)

Series Status: Australia leads 1-0

The Ashes 2025-26 has begun with a bang, delivering one of the most extraordinary Test matches in recent memory. Cricket fans worldwide will be eager to see if England can bounce back or if Australia will continue their dominance in Brisbane.