England’s batting decimated by Mitchell Starc on opening day of the Ashes

England’s batting imploded as Mitchell Starc snapped up seven wickets in a dramatic start to the first Ashes Test in Perth.

After choosing to bat first on a green pitch, the tourists were rounded up for 172 in less than 33 overs. In reply, Australia reached 15 for one at tea after Jofra Archer felled Jake Weatherald without score.

It was a woeful start to a series that has been billed as the litmus test of the ‘Bazball’ era, with Starc acting as executioner with a brilliant, career-best haul of seven for 58.

The rot started with Zak Crawley, who edged the sixth ball of the day to slip for nought, and there was also a duck for Joe Root as he failed to banish his demons Down Under.

Root’s quest for a first century on Australian soil is a major sub-plot of this trip but he kicked off with a seven-ball duck, squared up by a typically menacing delivery from Starc as he fed third slip. That was the left-armer’s 100th Ashes wicket, with opener Ben Duckett the 99th, and he was not done yet.

There was a sliver of resistance from Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, with the former compiling a steady 46 in sharp contrast to a wildly attacking 52 from his partner.

Brook stepped away and tried to thrash Starc off just his second ball and landed a handful of blows as he backed to leg or stepped down the pitch in a remarkable show of bravado.

Pope overbalanced as he was trapped lbw by all-rounder Cameron Green before lunch and skipper Ben Stokes had his stumps rearranged by Starc just after the restart.

Brook ticked off the first half-century of the series but was stopped in his tracks by debutant Brendan Doggett, who cramped him with a bouncer and grazed the glove.

From 160 for five, England folded to the tune of five wickets for 12 runs, Brydon Carse and Jamie Smith (33) both falling to the simplest of short-ball plans.

Archer knocked debutant Weatherald off his feet and had him lbw with the second ball of the reply but Australia averted further losses despite several near misses.