The first day of the second Test Ashes 2025 at the Gabba was similar to a great cricket play being acted under the lights of the pink ball. The England captain Ben Stokes called it right at the toss and elected to bat, but Mitchell Starc in his very first over took two wickets and sent Ben Duckett (0) and Ollie Pope (0) back to the pavilion and made visitors struggling at 5-2 early on. England was finally all out for 325 after 74 overs, with amazing innings from Joe Root (135* off 202) and Zak Crawley (76) setting up a thrilling contest ahead.
Starc Surpasses Akram in Historic Haul
The bowler Mitchell Starc had a tough day at the office with figures of 6-71, registering his third successive six-wicket haul in Test and thus, surpassing Wasim Akram’s 414 to become the left-arm pacer with the most Test wickets at 415 (or 418 per some updates). Key dismissals in his astounding spell were of Harry Brook (31), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse. Moreover, Starc’s fiery spells were responsible for tearing apart the lower order after the duo of Crawley and Root had done the rebuilding process. This was Starc’s 18th five-wicket haul and second fifer in the series, with an average of 26.53 overall.
Root’s Maiden Aussie Ton Saves Hayden’s Dignity
Joe Root hit his first Test century in Australia (135* off 202, 181 balls to hundred), thus, ending a 15-Test drought since 2013, his 40th Test ton overall. The innings was not only composed of a crucial partnership with Crawley but also included some late fireworks making up for the earlier chaos. It saved Matthew Hayden from having to walk naked in MCG, which was a daring pre-series bet if Root did not score a century Down Under.
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