Mitchell Starc handed Zak Crawley a pair of ducks in the opening Ashes Test, dismissing him for zero in both innings. On Saturday, Starc struck in the very first over again, claiming Crawley with a stunning caught-and-bowled effort. Pitched full, Crawley drove straight back down the pitch, and Starc reacted instinctively, sticking out his left hand to complete a sharp catch despite his momentum taking him the other way. After multiple replays, the third umpire confirmed the catch was clean.
Australia look to fightback on Day 2
Australia’s batting crumbled on Day 2 of the opening Ashes Test as they were bundled out for 132, giving England a valuable 40-run first-innings lead. Brydon Carse claimed the final wicket, dismissing Nathan Lyon for 4, while Brendan Doggett was left unbeaten on 7.
It proved a disappointing outing for Australia, who had earlier bowled out England for just 172 in only 33 overs. England lost six wickets for 67 runs after lunch the last five wickets tumbling for 12 runs to be all out in the second session. However, their top order faltered badly, managing just 123 runs for nine wickets before the innings folded in a heap. A reshuffled batting order only deepened their woes.
Mitchell Starc remained a rare positive for the visitors. After his career-best seven-wicket haul on Day 1, he continued adding milestones to his glowing resume. Starc has now taken 24 wickets in the first over of Test innings—15 of those coming since 2015. His dismissal of Joe Root was a special one too, marking his 100th Ashes wicket. With that feat, Starc became the 21st bowler overall and the first left-arm seamer to reach the landmark in Ashes history.
