One day was enough to remind everyone why pace can decide Ashes in Australia.
After more than a decade of bruising tours, England produced a single, thunderous session in Perth that felt like a statement. Nineteen wickets tumbled on day one — the most on an Ashes opening day since 1909 — and England finished with a 49-run lead, one tailender to remove and the chance to set an imposing target. For a side that has sometimes misread Australian conditions, this was a deliberately planned shock-and-awe moment.
The strategy to bring raw speed has been in the making since the 2023 home Ashes. That overhaul is why James Anderson was effectively eased out: England wanted the quickest unit they'd assembled in over half a century. The result in Perth vindicated that gamble. The attack averaged 87.6mph across the day, the fastest collective pace England have ever produced in a Test, and the effect on the Australian batting was dramatic.
The day began like a carnival on the Swan River — fans in party mood, colourful scenes around the ground — and quickly turned into a battering. England's own first innings was brief and ambitious: 172 all out in 32.5 overs, the shortest opening-innings effor
