Starc, Stokes headline opening day mayhem

Mitchell Starc picked up career-best figures of 7 for 58 in Tests but a five-fer from England captain Ben Stokes meant that Australia are reeling at 123 for 9 in response to the visitors' 172 on a manic Day 1 in Perth. Nineteen wickets fell on what seemed to be a good batting pitch - the most number of wickets that have fallen on the opening day of an Ashes Test in the last 100 years. England lead by 49 runs heading into Day 2 in an interestingly poised game.

- 

Stokes picked up a five-fer to lead England's fightback. (Cricbuzz)

With England winning the toss and electing to bat, Zak Crawley just guided the first ball off Starc to point rather anticlimactically after scoring a boundary off the first ball in the last Ashes series. Few balls later, Crawley attempted a drive through the offside with no feet movement to a delivery angled across by the left-armer which was pocketed by first slip. Scott Boland, on the other hand, couldn't find his length with Ben Duckett driving him down the ground to the boundary fence.

Duckett began to look menacing with a flurry of boundaries but Starc sent the southpaw back to the pavilion, trapping him LBW with the batter taking a review back with him. Joe Root, looking for his elusive 100 on Australian shores, got off to the worst possible start nicking one to slip and becoming Starc's third victim of the day. Brendan Doggett too almost had a dream start on Test debut almost having Ollie Pope bowled off his first ball.