England’s grip on the first Ashes Test at Perth wavered on Day 2 as Australia’s pace attack ripped through the middle order, but the visitors still finished their second innings at 164 all out, giving themselves a commanding 204-run lead.
Earlier, England had bowled Australia out for 132 in the first innings, with Ben Stokes’ brilliant 5 for 23 giving them an early advantage. The second innings saw England collapse from promising positions, with Mitchell Starc striking early to remove Zak Crawley for a duck, and Scott Boland dismantling the middle order by claiming Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook in quick succession.
Starc then returned to dismiss Joe Root and Stokes. A spirited lower-order fightback from Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse added 50 crucial runs, but Boland and Brendan Doggett wrapped up the tail.
Australia now face a challenging target of 205 runs to win, with the Perth pitch proving as unforgiving as ever. The seamer-friendly surface has once again reignited the global debate around pitch conditions. Batting has been extremely difficult, yet unlike the Eden Gardens Test in Kolkata, where Indian pitches drew sharp criticism after a quick result, English and Australian pundits have remained largely silent. With 19 wickets falling on Day 1—the most on an opening Ashes day in 126 years—Sunil Gavaskar’s observations on selective outrage and double standards in pitch scrutiny have gained fresh relevance, highlighting how conditions continue to shape not just the contest, but the conversation around it.
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