Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc created history on Day 1 of the opening Ashes 2025–26 Test in Perth, becoming the first left-arm pacer to claim 100 wickets in Ashes cricket. The landmark moment came when he dismissed former England captain Joe Root for a duck, a crucial strike that arrived early in the morning session.
England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat on a lively Perth surface. England went with a full pace battery, opting to leave out off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. Their attack featured Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, and Mark Wood—a bold move aimed at exploiting the bounce and pace on offer. Meanwhile, Australia handed Test debuts to Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald, adding a historic flavour to the contest.
Mitchell Starc made an immediate impact by removing Zak Crawley in the first over of the innings. England attempted to counter with positive intent, but Root’s arrival came earlier than they would have preferred after Ben Duckett fell in the seventh over.
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Joe Root, who has had a mixed history in Australian conditions, never looked settled. Starc continued to challenge him with late movement and attacking lines. Root nearly edged his second delivery and struggled to find rhythm as the left-arm pacer kept him guessing.
Mitchell Starc has claimed his 100th wicket against England! #MilestoneMoment | #Ashes | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/vItwfdCK3X
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 21, 2025
The dismissal arrived with a beautifully disguised delivery that straightened off a leg-stump line. Root tried to glance it fine but only exposed the outside edge. The ball flew directly to Marnus Labuschagne at third slip, ending Root’s innings for a duck and sealing Starc’s place in Ashes history.
With this wicket, Mitchell Starc became the 21st bowler—and the first left-arm fast bowler—to reach 100 Ashes wickets. His strike rate of 44.8 is the best among all bowlers who have crossed the milestone. Former left-arm spearhead Mitchell Johnson follows him with 87 wickets.
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Starc has now taken 100 wickets in 23 Tests against England, maintaining an average in the mid-20s with four five-wicket hauls, including a best of 6/111. In Australia alone, he has bagged over 43 wickets from 10 Ashes Tests, while contributing 56 more from 13 matches in England.
Overall, the 35-year-old has 405 wickets in 101 Tests, along with over 2,300 runs and 11 half-centuries, cementing his place as one of Australia’s finest modern-day all-format cricketers.
