Ben Stokes congratulating Travis Head (Source: AFP Photos)
The Perth Test between Australia and England ended with Travis Head's blitz, and after a first day of batting nightmare from both sides, Day 2 saw some respite.
England batters managed to stay a little bit longer on the crease than on Day 1 and piled up a sumptuous total to give a target of 205 runs for Australia to chase. However, Head's heroic ton obliterated the visitors as Australia glided past the victory margin confidently.
However, in the process, players from both sides broke multiple records in the Ashes Test. The most significant ones are listed below:
1) Fastest five-wicket haul for England in Tests
Ben Stokes’ 5-fer from just 36 balls made him the fifth fastest bowler to take a five-wicket haul for England in Test cricket, as he now joins legends like Stuart Broad, Johnny Briggs, and Bernard Bosanquet.
2) Starc’s career-best bowling figures in Tests
Mitchell Starc produced his career-best bowling figures in Test cricket, finishing with a remarkable 7 for 58, surpassing his previous best of 6 for 9 against West Indies.
3) First Ashes Test to start both innings with a wicket-maiden
The opening day of the Ashes also saw both innings begin with a maiden-wicket over, something never witnessed before in the history of the Ashes rivalry.
4) One of the best Ashes figures by an Australian left-arm pacer at home
Mitchell Starc’s 7 for 58 is one of the best ever figures by an Australian left-arm pacer against England at home.
5) Australia’s lowest Test totals in Perth
Australia also recorded their lowest innings totals in Perth in Tests, being bowled out for 132 against England on Day 2.
6) Best bowling figures as captain in Australia vs Australia
Ben Stokes now also has the best bowling figures as captain against Australia in Australia in a Test match, with his 5 for 23 in Perth. The best overall belongs to Kapil Dev, who took 8 for 106 back in 1985.
8) Zak Crawley joins list for most opener ducks
It is the fourth time that has happened, as Zak Crawley bagged two ducks in two innings. Crawley also recorded the joint-fourth most ducks by an England opener in Tests, alongside Geoff Boycott, with Mike Atherton leading the list with 17 ducks.
9) Fourth player to take the fewest deliveries to claim 50 Test wickets
Scott Boland took 1,639 balls to reach the landmark of taking 50 wickets in Tests, becming the fourth player to do so, while South Africa’s Vernon Philander leads the list, needing only 1,383 balls to achieve 50 Test wickets.
10) Mitchell Starc reaches 200 WTC wickets
Mitchell Starc completed 200 wickets in the World Test Championship, with Nathan Lyon leading the chart with 219 wickets, followed by Pat Cummins with 215 wickets.
11) Joint-third most 10-wicket hauls by Australian pacers
Starc also moved up the list for the most 10-wicket hauls by Australian pacers, reaching alongside Glenn McGrath, Graham McKenzie, and Mitchell Johnson, while Dennis Lillee leads with seven 10-wicket hauls.
12) Starc’s third-best match haul of his career
Mitchell Starc recorded his best bowling figures in a Test match against England at Perth. It was also registered as his third-best match haul in his career, with 10 wickets for 113 runs. His best figures remain against Sri Lanka in 2016, where he picked up 11 wickets for 94 runs.
13) Most catches against a single opponent
Steve Smith now tops the chart for the most catches as a fielder against a single opponent, taking 61 catches against England. The list also includes Rahul Dravid, Ian Botham, and Allan Border.
14) Third-fastest fifty in Ashes history
Travis Head recorded the third-fastest fifty in Ashes cricket by balls, reaching the milestone in just 36 deliveries and equalling Kevin Pietersen’s record from 2013 at The Oval.
15) One of the fastest Ashes hundreds ever
Head also registered one of the fastest hundreds in the Ashes, bringing it up from just 69 balls. The fastest Ashes century is held by Adam Gilchrist, who achieved the feat off 57 balls at Perth.
16) Fastest 200+ chase in Test cricket history
Australia also achieved an unprecedented milestone by taking the fewest overs to chase down a 200-plus target in a Test match. They required only 28.2 overs to reach 205, breaking England’s previous record of chasing 204 in 35.3 overs.
17) Fewest overs faced by England in an Ashes Test match
With England surviving only 32.5 overs in their first innings on Day 1, the tourists ended up facing just 405 deliveries (67.3 overs) across both innings combined. This collapse saw them slump to a new low, breaking a 130-year-old unwanted record.
.jpg?type=mq "What makes Starc an all-time great")
.jpg?type=mq "Stars in IPL, falter away from home")
