Ashes: Root falters again; Starc traps him for 10th time
What's the story
Talismanic Australian pacer Mitchell Starc continues to make the ball talk in the ongoing Ashes opener at Perth's Optus Stadium, dismissing England's Joe Root for just eight runs on Day 2. The delivery was a classic full-length ball, fast and angling in, catching Root off guard and knocking his stumps. Notably, the left-arm pacer had trapped Root in the first innings of the game as well. He now has 10 Test dismissals against the England great.
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Starc's strike triggers England's middle-order collapse
Starc's wicket of Root was a major turning point in the match, triggering a middle-order collapse for England. The team had been cruising at 65/1 but then lost four wickets in quick succession thanks to Scott Boland and Starc. The sudden fall of wickets has given Australia a chance to regain control of the match after an earlier struggle with the bat on Day 1. Notably, England were 76/5 at the time of Root's dismissal.
Batting woes
Batting struggles on Day 1
As many as 19 batters were dismissed on a blockbuster Day 1 of the opening Ashes Test at Perth's Optus Stadium. 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 the day at 123/9 before being folded for 132. Five of these wickets went to Ben Stokes's credit.
Starc vs Root
Starc traps Root for the 10th time
As per ESPNcricinfo, Root has now fallen to Starc 10 times across 33 innings in Test cricket. This includes Root's dismissal for duck on Day 1 of the game. The former has smashed 349 runs off 639 balls in this battle. Pat Cummins (11) and Jasprit Bumrah (11) are the only bowlers to trap the Englishman more often in Tests. Meanwhile, five of Root's dismissals against Starc have been recorded Down Under - the joint-most for any bowler alongside Cummins.
Root in Australia
Root continues to struggle Down Under
Across 159 Tests, Root has been a model of consistency and adaptability, scoring 13,551 runs at an average of 50.94 (100s: 39, 50s: 36). Though the batter is the second-highest run-getter in Tests, his returns dip significantly in Australia. Across 15 Tests Down Under, he has scored 900 runs at an average of 33.33 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.
Starc
10-fer in the game for Starc
With his third wicket in the game, Starc became the first left-arm pacer to complete 100 wickets in Ashes history. The pacer went on to claim a career-best 7/58 from 12.5 overs - his 17th fifer in Tests. With his third wicket in England's second innings, Starc also recorded his third match haul of 10 wickets in the format.