When England were bundled out for 172 runs during the first innings of the opening Ashes 2025/26 Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth, they aimed to pick at least four wickets by the end of the day’s play. They were successful in picking that number of wickets in a quick succession at both ends of the tea break. Australia’s batters had no answer to the pacers of the visitors. 

Usman Khawaja, the regular opening batter for the home side, didn’t open the batting as he was out of the ground due to an internal injury towards the back of the England innings when the team got bundled out quickly, and Khawaja didn’t spend much time in the field, which pushed his batting order.

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Khawaja arrived at the crease at number four. On two runs off five balls, the left-handed batter was bounced out by Brydon Carse’s short ball as he couldn’t keep the bat down and was flying on the turf with the wicket-keeper, Jamie Smith, grabbing an easy catch to send the batter back in the dressing room.

Watch: Brydon Carse bounces out Usman Khawaja during Ashes 2025/26 Test in Perth

Jofra Archer breathed fire in his opening spell, where he set the debutant opening batter, Jake Weatherald, with a short ball before putting a thunder-crashing yorker to trap the batter before the stumps. Marnus Labuschagne fought hard for his nine runs in 41 balls, opening the batting before he chopped the short ball into the stumps.

Carse on FIRE 🔥 Usman Khawaja departs on 2 (6).

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Steve Smith was bowled out against Carse as he got an outside edge into the hands of Harry Brook at the slip region. Australia suddenly lost four wickets for less than 50 runs and started to experience the same nightmare from the BGT 2024/25 against India last year.

Earlier in the morning, Mitchell Starc’s special bowling performance of 7/58 blew away the visitors for 172 in the first innings as Brook celebrated a fine fifty after Pope missed out on the milestone by just four runs.