The Ashes kicked off on Friday and it did not disappoint. On a pacers' day out in Perth, 19 wickets fell in action day. Mitchell Starc picked up a career best 7-fer to skittle out England for just 172. The visitors unleashed their own pace quartet to keep the hosts in check throughout. It was eventually captain Ben Stokes who picked up a 5-fer to leave Australia reeling at 123/9.
It was the most wickets falling on a single day in an Ashes Test in more than a 100 years. Perth has served up to be a frightening Day 1 experience, with India Test match also seeing 17 wickets fall last year. India's Eden Gardens loss to South Africa saw 17 wickets fall on day 1.
However, there was barely any criticism for the surface on offer at Perth. In fact, it was described as a thrilling day of Test cricket, despite the danger of the match ending in 3 days again.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra called out the hypocrisy suggesting it is never the same reaction on a turning track. Spinning wickets, especially in India, come for severe criticism from experts and players. Take for example the Eden Gardens surface in the IND vs SA Test has been under scrutiny as the match ended in 3 days despite some thrilling action.
Dinesh Karthik questioned, "Is it fair to say people like to see pacers picking plenty of wickets on spicy pitches than spinners on a turning pitch?"
Chopra added in his tweet that such an outcome on Day 1 of a Test match in subcontinent conditions would have been described as the death of Test cricket.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan had called the surface in Kolkata awful but was all praise of England's attack on Day 1 of the Ashes 1st Test.
