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Zak Crawley goes from zero to hero with 76 in Gabba Test; joins rare club of openers

Akshita Patel

Zak Crawley scores fifty in second Ashes Test [Source: AFP Photos]Zak Crawley scores fifty in second Ashes Test [Source: AFP Photos]

England opener Zak Crawley has redeemed himself after a pair of ducks in the first Ashes 2025 Test. He scored 76 runs in the second game at the Gabba and registered the third-highest score by an England opener after registering a pair in Tests.

In the first Test at Perth, Crawley had a nightmare outing. Mitchell Starc dismissed him for ducks in both innings as England lost the game by 8 wickets in a Test that ended inside just 2 days.

Zak Crawley strikes back under Gabba lights

However, despite the setback, Zak Crawley backed his experience and roared back in the second Ashes Test held at the Gabba. 

Out of all places, Crawley showed resistance in a pink-ball Test where Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett were already dismissed on ducks. 

Batting first, he scored 76 off 93 balls with 11 fours and an 81.72 strike rate. Crawley also knitted a 117-run partnership with Joe Root before Michael Neser dismissed him.

Highest scores by England openers after registering a pair in their previous Test

  • 108 – Michael Atherton vs South Africa, Port Elizabeth, 1999
  • 83 – Geoff Pullar vs India, Brabourne, 1961
  • 76 – Zak Crawley vs Australia, Brisbane, 2025

Crawley’s 76 now stands as the third-highest score by an England opener following a pair in the previous Test. 

Only Michael Atherton’s memorable 108 against South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 1999 and Geoff Pullar’s 83 against India in Mumbai in 1961 stand above him.

This innings is crucial for Zak Crawley. He is having a tough year in 2025 with 490 runs in 13 Test innings. He managed to get only a single hundred with an overall average of 37.69.

Just when his place in the England Test team was questioned, Crawley crawled back. But he has plenty to do in the Ashes 2025, as England are trailing 0-1 in the five-game series.

Joe Root nearing his first hundred in Down Under

Meanwhile, after Zak Crawley, Joe Root is also having a good time in the middle. He slammed a half-century and is racing towards his maiden Test hundred on Australian soil.

Root also scored 0 and 8 in the first Test at Perth and needs a big inning to gain some confidence. Also, Harry Brook was playing in his own Bazball style but fell to Starc on 31 off 33 balls.

Overall, England are having a mixed day at the Gabba.