Ashes 2025: Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood star as England unveil fearsome Ashes pace attack

Time and again, Australia has been on the back foot – figuratively and literally. Two-thirds of the deliveries were played off the back foot – the highest number in an innings since this data was first collected nearly 20 years ago. In the same time frame, the Australians have not had to commit to a high 35% foul shooting rate in Perth.

Even more impressive was the way England dealt with Steve Smith, Australia’s stand-in captain and the most prolific Ashes forward since Don Bradman.

Smith had to delay watching repeats of Mastermind long enough to face 49 for 17 balls. His foul shot percentage of 49% was the highest of his career.

Every time Australia looked like they might weather a storm, England had another option up their sleeve – the beauty of offering five pace options, the first time they had done so in a red-ball Test in Australia since 1998.

Beyond the performance, the assembly of this English quintet is made all the more evident by the obstacles each player had to overcome to get on the field.

How many people gave Archer a chance to play Test cricket after four years of injury? It has only been three matches since his comeback that began in the summer, and yet he already looks like one of the best fast bowlers in the world.

Ditto for Wood, who played in the same Test as Archer for only the second time in their careers. The Durham man has returned after 15 months away from Test cricket two months shy of his 36th birthday. True to his word, he was at his best when fresh, sliding straight into lightning bowling.

Kars has been serving a ban for historic betting offenses for just over a year. Atkinson began his career against the backdrop of the unbearable tragedy of his mother’s death in a traffic accident.

Then there’s Stokes, in the city where his legend was born.

Twelve years ago, at the age of 22, Stokes announced his arrival as an England cricketer with a century against Johnson on a WACA pitch that featured cracks wide enough to swallow a small child.

Australia haven’t seen the best of him since, with Stokes’ magic moments in the Ashes coming mainly at home runs. In that first round of the 2013-14 season, he was the shining light in a team that had fallen apart. In 2017–18 he was exiled due to the Bristol Incident. Four years ago, he was still feeling his way back from a mental health break.

In this first Test, Stokes returned to Perth and made his return to the England team after a shoulder injury ruled him out of the final Test of the home summer. He registered his second five-wicket haul in the most Tests and far best figures in 11 years.

Fast bowling has been at the heart of some of England’s most famous Ashes victories in Australia, and there is a lot to do before Stokes can get his hands on the urn in Sydney in January.

This test is not over yet, and a good position may be wasted if speculators do not pull their weight. Australia have Pat Cummins due for his return for the second Test. Twelve months ago, India bowled out for 150 in Perth, won the Test, but lost the series 3-1.

This was only one day, but what a day.