BRISBANE: Captain Pat Cummins took five wickets as Australia bowled out their English foes for 147 on day one of the first Test in a stunning bowling performance before rain washed out the final session.
Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat, though his plans for England took a turn in the session’s opening moments.
Australian new ball tearaway quick Mitchell Starc struck with the first ball of the series, hitting the base of Rory Burns’ leg stump as he shuffled across. It was just the second occasion a wicket has fallen on the first ball of an Ashes series, with Stan Worthington caught by Bert Oldfield off the bowling of Ernest McCormick in 1936.
Josh Hazlewood kept the foot down for Australia at the other end, removing Dawid Malan and Joe Root to leave the tourists reeling at 11/3.
Ben Stokes and Haseeb Hameed dug in until the first drinks break, though captain Pat Cummins removed Stokes with a beauty, finding the shoulder of the left-hander’s bat after refreshments.
