Ashes: Mitchell Starc induces four overs of chaos at start of second Test
Different day, different Test, different city and different terrain. Same chaotic Ashes cricket.
After England lost to Australia in two days in Perth, the second Test began with turmoil in Brisbane for four.
The day-night drama began at the toss, with Australia confirming the exclusion of spinner Nathan Lyon – but that was nothing compared to the opening 20 minutes, which featured two England ducks, a catch and a possible wicket.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc caused havoc once again by dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, Joe Root was dismissed from the same bowler and Zak Crawley may have been caught behind off Michael Neser, but the home side could not appeal.
Here’s how it all turned out:
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0.4 overs – Eng 4-0 – Crawley tried to hit Starc for a duck twice in the first Test but was eventually put off the target of the series by a cracking cover delivery from the same bowler; Shades like the England opener hitting Pat Cummins for a four off the first ball of the 2023 Ashes at Edgasbton.
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0.6 overs – Eng 5-1 – Just like in Perth, Starc bats in the first over of England’s innings, but this time it is Duckett who is his victim. Faced with his first ball, Duckett is pulled into a poke with a full, swinging delivery which results in an edge to first slip. The left-handed duck marks the first time the left-hander has recorded three ducks in the first two Tests of an Ashes series in the opening matches in England.
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2.3 overs – Eng 5-2 – A wretched shot from Pope that shows England have learned little from their capitulation in Perth. Pope, facing just his third delivery, attempts to cut a wide delivery from Starc and clips his own stumps. Even at such an early stage (only 15 shots into the match) there was already evidence of a steep recovery. This was therefore a serious error of judgment from England’s number three.
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2.6 overs – Eng 11-2 – Almost a hammer blow for England as Root slides over Starc and escapes. Standing at an angle across him, Root defends against first slip and the ball falls in front of fielder Marnus Labuschagne. Australia captain Steve Smith leaps over Labuschagne after second slip, throws his left hand towards the ball but cannot hold on. It would be a stunning catch. Instead he brings four for Root.
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Above 3.5 – Eng 21-2 – Would this have been granted if Australia had chosen to review? Crawley played a delivery from seamer Michael Neser, who was selected as the pink-ball specialist to replace Lyon. Neser protests but receives little support from his teammates. Replays show there was a minor dent in the technology, but there is nothing definitive to suggest the TV referee could overturn the on-field decision.
England eventually survived Starc’s five-over spell without further losses.
Before the second Test was an hour out, the left-armer already had 12 wickets in the series, mirroring the performance of Mitchell Johnson, who destroyed England on the Ashes tour in 2013-14.
Former England spinner Phil Tufnell told Test Match Special: “Mitchell Starc is one of those bowlers who, especially when we were sharing hotels, would always come down looking very calm as I sat there eating my breakfast a little nervously.”
“That’s what makes world-class performers. You can tell who’s a top-class cricketer by how they eat breakfast. I’m sure they’re calm.”
Starc’s opening burst also racked up some remarkable career numbers.
The 35-year-old joins legendary Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram on 414 wickets; this made him the top left-arm pace bowler in Test cricket.
This was the 26th occasion on which Starc took a wicket in the first innings; three of these came in this series.
Starc added a new one to his magnificent record with the pink ball. Before this match he was comfortably the leading wicket-taker in day-night Tests and with this new-ball spell he took 83 wickets in 15 matches, second only to Australian Cummins’ 40.
