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England stumble again in chaotic Ashes start
England's Ashes hopes suffered another early setback as Australia's Mitchell Starc dismantled their top order within the first four overs of the second Test in Brisbane, mirroring the team's collapse in Perth.
The opening collapse
England's innings began in disarray, with Starc claiming two wickets in his first over. Ben Duckett fell for a duck after edging a swinging delivery to first slip, marking the third time England's openers had failed to score in the series' first two Tests. Moments later, Ollie Pope was bowled for just 0, playing an ill-judged cut shot against a wide delivery from Starc that ricocheted onto his stumps.
Joe Root narrowly avoided joining them, surviving a close call when his edge through the slips went unheld by Australia's fielders. Zak Crawley also escaped dismissal after a faint edge off Michael Neser, though replays suggested a possible nick, Australia opted not to review.
Starc's dominance continues
Starc's fiery spell saw him reach 12 wickets in the series before the match was an hour old, drawing comparisons to Mitchell Johnson's destructive 2013-14 Ashes tour. The left-arm seamer's early strike rate has become a hallmark of his career, with this marking the 26th time he has taken a wicket in the first over of an innings-three of which have come in this series alone.
His performance also extended his record in day-night Tests, where he now leads with 83 wickets from 15 matches, 40 ahead of Pat Cummins. Additionally, Starc equaled Wasim Akram's record of 414 Test wickets for left-arm pacers, cementing his place among the game's greats.
"Mitchell Starc is one of those bowlers who just looks so calm, even when the pressure's on. You can tell who's world-class by how they eat breakfast-I bet he's completely composed."
Phil Tufnell, former England spinner
Lyon's absence adds to England's woes
Australia's decision to omit spinner Nathan Lyon-missing a home Test for the first time since 2012-did little to ease England's struggles. While Neser, a pink-ball specialist, replaced Lyon, the hosts' pace attack remained formidable, with Starc leading the charge.
What's next for England?
With the series finely poised after Australia's first-Test victory, England face an uphill battle to avoid another early exit. Their top-order fragility has been exposed, and recovery will require resilience against a relentless Australian attack.
