Starck’s Brutal Start Leaves England Shaken!

Day One of the Ashes Test at Brisbane’s Gabba was an immediate test of England’s nerve. Mitchell Starck, with the pink Kookaburra ball in hand, delivered a spell that left the English openers reeling.

Ben Duckett fell for a golden duck, edged to Marnus Labuschagne in the slip cordon. Starck had made his intentions clear—early wickets would set the tone. Ollie Pope followed soon after, bowled for zero, leaving England 5 for 2 within 2.3 overs. The start was catastrophic.

Joe Root and Jack Crawley, however, fought back with resilience. They shared a 93-run unbeaten third-wicket stand from 129 balls, keeping England alive. By the tea break, England had reached 98/2, with Root 32* and Crawley 61*.

Starck’s early strike is not a one-off. For the fourth consecutive Test, he has taken a wicket in the very first over, a sequence that began at Sabina Park against the West Indies. Across his career, he has 26 first-over wickets, trailing only James Anderson.

Beyond the Ashes records, Starck’s dismissals of Duckett and Pope took him past Wasim Akram with 414 Test wickets, making him the joint highest wicket-taking left-arm pacer in Test history. His consistency and skill are redefining fast bowling standards.

The day also carried a note of sorrow. Both teams wore black armbands to honour the late Robin Smith, who passed away on 1 December. Bangladesh’s Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid served as on-field umpire, highlighting the global nature of the match.

As England heads into the second session, the focus will be on Root and Crawley to build the innings, while the shadow of Starck’s pink-ball mastery looms large. The first day promises more drama, records, and moments of cricketing brilliance as the Ashes series unfolds.