England captain Ben Stokes conceded that his side were left completely “shellshocked” by Travis Head’s breathtaking knock, which powered Australia to a dominant eight-wicket victory in the opening Ashes Test in Perth. The match finished inside two days, as Australia rose above the early chaos and seized control with ruthless efficiency.

Boland’s burst and Head’s fireworks leave England stunned

England looked well placed at lunch on Day 2, having reached 65 for 1 with a lead approaching 100 runs. But their promising position evaporated within minutes. A dramatic collapse, four wickets tumbling for just 11 runs, handed Australia all the momentum. Scott Boland’s sharp burst ignited the turnaround, and although England’s lower-order fought to post 205, it was nowhere near enough once Head walked out.

With Usman Khawaja unavailable, the decision to promote Head to the top proved a masterstroke. The left-hander launched a fierce counter-attack, smashing 123 off just 83 balls in an innings packed with clean hitting and fearless intent. He single-handedly dismantled England’s plans and steered Australia to the target in only 28.2 overs.

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Speaking after the defeat, Stokes openly praised Australia’s match-winner. “That innings from Travis Head was pretty phenomenal,” he said. “It’s still very raw, but that knock really took the wind out of us. We tried different plans, but when someone’s going that hard, it’s tough to stop.”

England captain calls for quick reset ahead of crucial Brisbane Test

While critics pointed to England’s aggressive batting as a factor in their collapse, Stokes insisted the approach wasn’t the problem, execution was. “The players who took the game on found success,” he said. “Occupying the crease didn’t seem to work on this surface. On wickets like this, you never feel you have enough runs.”

Despite the disappointment, Stokes highlighted the positive impact of England’s five-man pace attack, which impressed during Australia’s first innings on a lively pitch that saw 19 wickets fall on Day 1. With a long break before the day-night Test in Brisbane starting December 4, England aim to regroup quickly.

“It hurts, obviously,” Stokes admitted. “But we’ve got four games left. We’ll let this sink in and then move on, we’ve got to hit the ground running in Brisbane.”