The first Ashes Test lasted only two days – the shortest contest between these sides since 1921 – as Australia cruised to an eight-wicket victory at Optus Stadium. England were bowled out for 172 and 164, with Mitchell Starc claiming a match-winning 10 for 113 and Travis Head smashing a breathtaking 123 from 83 balls to seal the result before tea on day two.
Despite the comprehensive nature of the defeat, head coach Brendon McCullum insisted there would be no fundamental shift in England’s philosophy.
“We got a lot wrong today, especially with the bat in that second innings,” McCullum said. “From 65 for 1 we lost nine for 99, and several dismissals came from shots we simply didn’t need to play at that stage. That’s the area we’ll address – better judgement under pressure and tighter execution when we have the game in our grasp.”
McCullum was quick to highlight the positives. England’s seamers, led by Ben Stokes (5 for 45) and Gus Atkinson, twice reduced Australia to 38 for 4 and later 82 for 6 on a pitch offering sharp bounce and lateral movement.
“For large parts of this match we outbowled them on their own deck,” McCullum noted. “If we can marry that quality with more composure from the batting group, we remain a very dangerous side.”
Since McCullum and Stokes took charge in 2022, England have won 20 of their 30 Tests – a win percentage of 66.7%, the best of any England leadership pairing over a comparable period. Their run rate of 4.82 per over is the highest of any team in Test history.
McCullum acknowledged the criticism that followed England’s collapse but remained unmoved.
“People are entitled to their opinions. What I know is that playing cautiously has rarely brought England success in Australia. We’ll keep backing our method, keep encouraging positive intent, and trust that the runs and the wins will follow when we get the balance right.”
England now head to Canberra for a four-day match against a Prime Minister’s XI before the day-night second Test in Brisbane starting 4 December. McCullum’s closing message was one of calm conviction.
“One Test match doesn’t define a series, and it certainly doesn’t define this team. We’ll learn, we’ll adjust, and we’ll come again.”
