The BRICS TimesIn the first Test of the Ashes 2025-26 series, Australia defeated England by 8 wickets. Travis Head played a historic inning of 123 runs to turn the match around completely alone.
Historic Win in Two Days
Australia has defeated England by 8 wickets in the first Test of the Ashes 2025-26 series. Travis Head played a historic knock of 123 runs to change the game single-handedly. This match at Optus Stadium in Perth finished within just two days. Head completed his century in just 69 balls during the chase. This is the fourth-fastest century for Australia in Test cricket history.
Head’s Record-Breaking Chase
Australia needed 205 runs in the fourth innings to win the match. In response, Travis Head played a stormy inning of 123 runs off 83 balls. He smashed 16 fours and 4 sixes during this time. Head also scored the fastest century in history while chasing in the fourth innings. Jack Weatherald scored 23 runs to support the chase. Marnus Labuschagne also found his form and scored a solid 51 runs.
England Loses Grip on the Match
England scored 172 runs in their first innings. However, English bowlers made a strong comeback. They bowled out Australia for 132 runs and took a vital lead of 40 runs. Fast bowlers were wreaking havoc on this pitch. Based on the lead, England set a target of 205 runs for Australia. Looking at the first three innings, this target seemed very huge.
Australia’s Aggressive Strategy
The pitch looked difficult for batting in the fourth innings. However, Australia adopted a strategy of playing aggressive shots. This plan worked perfectly for the home team. Travis Head, in particular, thrashed the English bowlers all around the park. With this victory, Australia has taken a 1-0 lead in the Ashes series.
Starc Takes Ten Wickets
Mitchell Starc took a total of 10 wickets in this entire match. He dismissed 7 batsmen in the first innings and 3 in the second innings. England captain Ben Stokes also took a 5-wicket haul in the first innings.
Akshay Didwaniya
