For the third time in a row, the opening Test of the 2025/26 Ashes had 0-1 on the scorecard, creating a unique first in men's Test cricket.
The Ashes began in unexpected fashion with 19 wickets falling on the first day, the joint fifth-most on an opening day of post-War Test (and the most in the Ashes). Opting to bat first, England were cut open by a Mitchell Starc seven-for and were bowled out for 172. In response, Australia lost their first wicket by tea, and found themselves nine down by end of play, still 49 runs behind. They could add only nine runs to the overnight score.
Also read: Ranked: Every Ashes opening day from this century from least to most bonkers
1st Test, Australia vs England
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England then came out to bat, only for Mitchell Starc to send back Zak Crawley in the first over again. In the first innings, Crawley nicked him to first slip; in the second, he drove one back to Starc, who completed a stunning return grab with one hand.
It completed a unique "hat-trick" in this Test: for the first time ever, the first three innings had the first wicket fall at the score of zero.
Sandwiched between the two Starc-Crawley dismissals was Jofra Archer getting rid of debutant Jake Weatherald, off the second ball of Australia's innings. So far, the Test has seen five ducks.
It's not the first time a Test has seen 0-1 thrice across three innings, but the other two instances were not in a row. Last year, in the Australia-Pakistan Sydney Test, the score was 0-1 in the first, third and fourth innings, the same as the Australia-England Test of 1950 in Brisbane.
Score of 0-1 thrice in the same Test
| Test | Innings | Dismissals |
| Australia v England (Perth, 2025) | 1, 2, 3 | 1. Zak Crawley c Usman Khawaja b Mitchell Starc 2. Jake Weatherald lbw Jofra Archer 3. Zak Crawley c&b Mitchell Starc |
| Australia v Pakistan (Sydney, 2024) | 1, 3, 4 | 1. Abdullah Shafique c Steve Smith b Mitchell Starc 2. Abdullah Shafique b Mitchell Starc 3. Usman Khawaja lbw Sajid Khan |
| Australia v England (Brisbane, 1950) | 1, 3, 4 | 1. Jack Moroney c Len Hutton b Trevor Bailey 2. Jack Moroney lbw Trevor Bailey 3. Reg Simpson b Ray Lindwall |
It was also only the second time a top-seven batter had managed a pair in an Ashes Test at Perth. Interestingly, both times, it's been a Crawley: while John Crawley did so in the 1995 Test, Zak Crawley (not related) repeated the same in 2025.
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