Mitchell Starc writes another chapter in his Ashes narrative as Zak Crawley's wicket goes down in folklore
PERTH: Mitchell Starc's magic trend of startingAshes on fire has continued, claiming the scalp of Zak Crawley in the first over of the first Test at Perth.
Starc famously bowled Rory Burns around his legs with the first ball in the 2021/22 Ashes series which the Aussies won 4-0.
Crawley himself has history with the first ball, having smashed Pat Cummins for a boundary in the 2023 series.
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The first ball for this series was rather anti-climactic with Starc pitching it up outside off and Crawley defending.
Mitchell Starc celebrates. Getty
"That's a disappointment," Michael Vaughan laughed on Fox Cricket.
Adam Gilchrist added: "We can all breathe again."
Crawley wasn't afraid to drive throughout the over, playing and missing at one.
Then on the final ball, he bit off more than he could chew.
The drive came out again, and it wasn't full enough or wide enough. Crawley nicked to Usman Khawaja at first slip and Starc was running away in celebration.
Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Zak Crawley. Cricket Australia via Getty Imag
A collective groan came from English journalists, in a sign of how frustrating Crawley can be.
"Perfect start for the Aussies," Vaughan said.
"There are England fans all over the world going 'oh no' as the dreaded big drive from Crawley ... it's not there to drive."
Starc's scalp made it the seventh time he has taken a wicket in the first over of a Test.
Crawley and Ollie Pope came into the Test match as arguably the two batters under the most pressure for England.
The opener averages 31 in Test matches, which is a constant theme when discussing his ability.
The doubts are there for Pope and Crawley namely because of the highly rated Barbados-born Jacob Bethell who is waiting in the wings.
Bethell hasn't scored a first class century but he's the Bazball prototype. Aggressive, young and full of enthusiasm.
With that pressure in mind, it would be no surprise if Crawley came out and obliterated Australia's attack in the next innings.
For now though, Starc has his number and he's not the only one, with Joe Root also out for zero and Ben Duckett falling inside the first hour to the left-arm legend.
