Chasing a target of 205 set by England, Australia reached the mark in 28.2 overs, losing only two wickets. Head’s innings featured 16 fours and four sixes, while Marnus Labuschagne contributed a steady 51 not out. Jake Weatherald was dismissed for 23, and Steve Smith remained unbeaten on 2, ensuring a comfortable finish.
England’s second innings had collapsed under sustained Australian pressure. Opener Zak Crawley fell for a duck, caught by Starc off his own bowling, while key batsmen including Joe Root (8) and Ben Stokes (2) failed to make an impact. A lower-order partnership between Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse rescued England slightly, taking their total past 200, but it proved insufficient to set a challenging target. Scott Boland and Doggett claimed seven wickets between them in the innings.
Starc was named Player of the Match for his remarkable 10-wicket haul, including seven wickets in the first innings and three in the second, decisively restricting England’s batting lineup. Australia, despite conceding a 40-run first-innings deficit with 132 all out, showcased aggressive and precise batting in their chase, leaving England with no answer.
The match highlighted Australia’s dominance in pace bowling and explosive batting. Fans at Optus Stadium gave Head a standing ovation for his match-defining innings, while England now face a daunting task to bounce back in the five-Test series.
With the first Test concluded in just two days, Australia sets a formidable tone for the Ashes series, combining clinical fast bowling, aggressive batting, and strategic fielding to assert early supremacy over the visitors.
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