What a rollercoaster of a day at the Gabba. If you stepped away for even a moment, you risked missing something huge. England won the toss, chose to bat, and within 15 balls were in absolute tatters at 5 for 2. It felt like a classic Brisbane nightmare unfolding, but what followed was a day defined by two monumental performances: a career-defining century from Joe Root and a record-breaking rampage from Mitchell Starc. It was pure Ashes theatre.
Key Highlights
- ✓ Joe Root finally scores his first Test century in Australia, a masterful unbeaten 135.
- ✓ Mitchell Starc was on fire, taking a stunning 6 wickets and surpassing Wasim Akram's record.
- ✓ England recovered from a disastrous 5 for 2 to post 325 for 9 at the close of play.
- ✓ Zak Crawley played a crucial knock, scoring 76 to help rebuild the innings.
- ✓ Australia made a controversial call to drop spinner Nathan Lyon for an all-seam attack.
Starc's Pink-Ball Masterclass
Let's just start with Mitchell Starc, because the man was simply on another planet. With the pink ball under the lights, he's a different beast. He had a dream start, getting Ben Duckett caught at slip with his sixth ball for a golden duck. It was the fourth time in a row he's taken a wicket in the first over of a Test innings—just an incredible statistic.
He wasn't done there. A few moments later, Ollie Pope chopped on for a duck, and England were reeling. Each time Steve Smith brought him back into the attack, he looked threatening. He ended the day with a phenomenal six-wicket haul, constantly laying traps that England's batters just couldn't resist. His delivery to get rid of Harry Brook, a wild drive that edged to slip, was a perfect example of his tactical genius.
The biggest moment for Starc, however, was a historic one. When he got Brook out, he took his 415th Test wicket, moving past the legendary Wasim Akram to become the most prolific left-arm fast bowler in the history of Test cricket. Wasim himself even tweeted his congratulations, calling Starc a "worthy champion." What a milestone to achieve on such a big stage.
The Curse is Broken: Root's Elusive Australian Ton
Amidst Starc's carnage, one man stood tall. Joe Root walked out to the crease with his team in crisis, and all the talk leading into this series was about one thing: could he finally get that century in Australia? He’d played 15 Tests and 29 innings here without reaching three figures. Today, in his 30th innings, he finally did it.
This wasn't just any hundred; it was a technical masterclass. Analyst Srinivas Vijaykumar from CricViz pointed out a fascinating adjustment. Root was consistently playing the seamers further down the wicket, at an average of 1.87m from his stumps. That's a conscious effort to get forward, curbing his natural instinct to play late, which has gotten him into trouble here before. You could see he was a man on a mission.
The moment came when he clipped Scott Boland off his pads for four. The celebration was a simple, cheeky shrug, but you could see the immense relief. It was his 40th Test century, and as Michael Vaughan said on the commentary, it was surely his "most precious." Even the Gabba crowd gave him a standing ovation, recognizing the sheer class of the innings. And Matthew Hayden can breathe a sigh of relief—he'd pledged to do a naked lap of the MCG if Root failed to score a ton this tour!
Middle-Order Wobbles and Moments of Brilliance
While Root was the anchor, England's innings was a story of partnerships and collapses. Zak Crawley deserves a huge amount of credit. Coming off a king pair in the first Test, the pressure on him was immense. He responded brilliantly with an aggressive 76, helping rebuild the innings in a crucial 117-run stand with Root before under-edging a pull shot.
Then came the frustrating part. Harry Brook came in and played some incredible shots, racing to 31 off 33 balls. But just as he looked set, he played that loose drive off Starc. It's the story of Brook's Test career so far: undeniable talent mixed with questionable match awareness. Stuart Broad later questioned his recognition of the game scenario, and you can see why.
The real heart-in-mouth moment was the run-out of captain Ben Stokes. He and Root looked to be building another solid partnership, but a push into the offside and a moment of hesitation proved fatal. Josh Inglis, in his first home Test, produced a sensational piece of fielding—a clean gather and a direct hit on the bounce with only one stump to aim at. It was a game-changing moment, reminiscent of Nathan Lyon’s famous run-out of James Vince here years ago.
A Controversial Call and a Feisty Finish
Before a ball was even bowled, there was major drama in the Australian camp. They made the huge call to drop their veteran spinner, Nathan Lyon, at home for the first time since 2012. It allowed them to play an all-seam attack, but Lyon was clearly not happy. In a frosty interview, he admitted he was "absolutely filthy" and "extremely disappointed" with the decision.
As the day drew to a close, it looked like Australia’s seamers might run through England's tail. After a flurry of wickets, including Jamie Smith getting bowled for a duck, England were 264 for 9. But then came the fireworks. Jofra Archer joined Root, and the pair decided to throw the bat. Archer smashed two sixes in a whirlwind 32 not out, while Root reverse-swept Scott Boland for six and thumped Starc back over his head for four.
This late cameo was more than just fun; it was valuable. The last-wicket partnership added 50 runs, pushing England past 300 for the first time in Australia since 2018. As Glenn McGrath noted on commentary, Australia didn't bowl well at the death. The flurry of runs ensured that the Aussie batters would have to wait until day two to start their innings, a small but significant victory for England.
Conclusion
So, where does that leave us? Day one at the Gabba was a day of two titans. Mitchell Starc wrote his name into the history books, while Joe Root finally conquered his personal Everest in Australia. England showed both their fragility and their fighting spirit, recovering from a nightmare start to post a competitive total of 325 for 9. It was a day of high drama, massive milestones, and a reminder of why the Ashes is the pinnacle of Test cricket. The stage is perfectly set for another gripping day of action.
