The former England pacer, Stuart Broad, was in tears when he saw his team crumbling before the expressive pace of Mitchell Starc during their second innings with the bat in the opening Ashes 2025/26 Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth. England were 99 runs ahead with one down heading into the lunch break, but they lost nine wickets for 105 runs. 

The camera cut to Stuart Broad in the commentary box, whose expression captured the weight of Root’s fall as he rubbed his eyes and pressed his lip in disbelief, and showed visible frustration. The former Australian opening batter, Matthew Hayden, grinned at Broad as they realized the shift of momentum with Australia taking full control in the fixture.

See Also: Watch: “Rattle Aussies…”- Monty Panesar hits back at Steve Smith’s sledge during Ashes 2025/26

Australia were bundled out for 132 in the first innings as the visitors enjoyed a lead of 40 runs. But England lost their opener Zak Crawley in the fifth ball of the opening over in the third innings. Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett posted a fine fifty-run stand for the second wicket before the disaster.

Watch: Stuart Broad shocked and in tears to see England’s struggle during Ashes 2025/26 Perth Test

The first of the struggle was when Duckett got an outside edge into the hands of the slip fielder, Steve Smith, while Scott Boland removed Pope, who went for a flashing drive away from his body and edged it into the hands of the wicket-keeper, Alex Carey.

Stuart Broad and Matthew Hayden are getting along brilliantly 😭#Ashes https://t.co/QyAAUQxrW8 pic.twitter.com/qYYr2iMNey

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 22, 2025

The new batter, Harry Brook, on a three-ball duck, went for another massive drive to Boland, who was caught in the slip region, while Joe Root, on 2, got an inside edge into the stumps against Mitchell Starc as the tourists lost four wickets in 11 runs.

Jamie Smith was next to follow in a controversial way of dismissal when he gloved the leg-side ball into the hands of the wicket-keeper before they got bundled out for 164. Travis Head’s 73 runs in 55 balls for Australia also killed the target as they raced away to 111/1 in the 205-run chase.