Decoding Team England's Ashes woes in Perth
What's the story
England recently suffered their most humiliating Test defeat in Australia in years, losing the first Ashes Test at Perth's Optus Stadium by eight wickets. The loss marks the first two-day Ashes Test since 1921 and comes as a major blow to the English cricket team. The defeat was especially painful for England fans as it came after a promising start to the match. Meanwhile, here we decode England's Ashes woes in Perth.
Summary
How did the game pan out?
Mitchell Starc claimed a career-best seven-fer as England were folded for 172 while batting first. In response, Australia also lost wickets in a cluster to end their innings at 132/10. Five of these wickets went to Ben Stokes's credit. England, in their second innings, managed 164/10 thanks to Gus Atkinson (37). Scott Boland trapped four batters. Australia then chased down the 205-run target thanks to Travis Head's record-breaking hundred. They prevailed by eight wickets.
Missed chance
England's missed opportunity in Perth
England had a golden opportunity to win their first Test in Australia since 2011 and their first away Ashes opener since 1986. However, the shiny new Perth Stadium turned out to be just as disappointing as its predecessor, the WACA. Despite being 105 runs ahead with nine second-innings wickets in hand at one point, England crumbled under pressure and lost by eight wickets. Notably, this was England's maiden Test outing at the WACA Stadium.
Woes
11 Test defeats in Perth
As per ESPNcrcinfo, England have 11 defeats and just a solitary win in the 15 Ashes matches that they have played in Perth. While 14 of these games took place at the WACA, the recent series opener marked England's debut at the Optus Stadium. The English team's only Test win here dates way back to December 1978 - their third outing in the city.
Streak
Nine defeats on the bounce
After the victory in the 1978 affair, England's next three Ashes outings in Perth resulted in one loss and two draws. However, the Brits then lost each of their next nine Test matches in the city. Two of these defeats were by an innings margin. There were also three losses by 200-plus runs. Notably, England have won the toss in seven of the 15 Tests that they have played in Perth.