Ashes: Root bags duck; Starc traps him for ninth time
What's the story
Former England captain Joe Root's long-standing struggle in Australia continued on the opening morning of the Ashes Test in Perth. He was dismissed for a seven-ball duck by Mitchell Starc within the first hour of play. The early dismissal highlighted Root's ongoing difficulties with Australian conditions, despite being one of modern cricket's most prolific batters. Meanwhile, Starc trapped him for the ninth time in Test cricket. Here are further details.
Match highlights
Starc's milestone and Root's dismissal
Starc, the only fit member of Australia's frontline pace trio for the series opener, made a mark by claiming his 100th Ashes wicket. He first dismissed openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley before sending Root back to the pavilion with a sharp delivery that seamed away sharply to draw an edge. The dismissal further intensified pressure on England's batting unit, which struggled to cope with pace and seam on offer.
Starc vs Root
Starc traps him for the ninth time
As per ESPNcricinfo, Root has now fallen to Starc seven times across 32 innings in Test cricket. The former has smashed 349 runs off 637 balls when facing Starc at a decent average of 38.77. Pat Cummins (11), Josh Hazlewood (10), and Jasprit Bumrah (11) are the only bowlers to trap the Englishman more often in Tests. Meanwhile, four of Root's dismissals against Starc have been recorded Down Under.
Historical context
Third Ashes duck in Australia
Across 159 Tests, Root has been a model of consistency and adaptability, scoring 13,543 runs at an average of 51.11 (100s: 39, 50s: 36). Though the batter is the second-highest run-getter in Tests, his returns dip significantly in Australia. Playing his 15th Test Down Under, he has scored 892 runs at an average of 34.30 with nine fifties but no century. The one in Perth was his third Test duck in Australia, sixth in Ashes, and 14th overall in Tests.
Stats
100 Ashes wickets for Starc
With his third scalp, Starc became the first left-arm pacer to complete 100 wickets in Ashes history. No other left-arm pacer even boasts 90 Ashes wickets as Mitchell Johnson follows Starc with 87 scalps. Playing his 23rd Test against England as per ESPNcricinfo, Starc has completed 100 wickets at 26-plus. Overall in Tests, Starc has raced past 404 wickets from 101 Tests at 27-plus. He owns 16 five-wicket hauls and 20 four-fers.