The opening Ashes Test in Perth has already produced a statistical anomaly that cricket historians are struggling to believe. For the first time in the 148-year history of Test cricket, the first wicket in each of the match’s first three innings fell before a single run could be scored.
England’s opener Zak Crawley set the tone in the first innings, departing for a six-ball duck, undone by Mitchell Starc’s fiery pace and late swing. Australia’s opening act mirrored the drama, as Jake Weatherald fell leg-before to Jofra Archer after only two deliveries. England’s second innings on Day Two continued the pattern, with Crawley again dismissed without opening his account, this time in spectacular fashion.
The historic sequence has left fans and players alike stunned. “It’s the kind of record you don’t expect to see in your lifetime,” remarked a veteran Ashes commentator. Cricket statisticians are already poring over archives to confirm that nothing of this sort has ever occurred before.
Mitchell Starc has been central to this unique series of events. Not only did he claim Crawley twice, but he also demonstrated extraordinary athleticism by completing a diving catch off his own bowling in the second innings. Such feats underscore the bowler’s lethal combination of pace, swing, and reflexes.
As England struggle to rebuild, and Australia consolidate their position, the Perth Test has established itself as one of the most unusual and memorable in Ashes history—where even a run’s absence can make history.