Overview
- England won the toss, chose to bat and picked an all-pace XI, leaving out off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.
- Mitchell Starc led the rout with 7-58 as England were dismissed for 172 on day one at Optus Stadium.
- Australia fielded debutants Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood sidelined by injury and Steve Smith captaining.
- Doggett’s inclusion alongside Scott Boland marked the first time two Indigenous Australian men appeared in the same Australia Test XI.
- Australia began their reply and lost debutant Weatherald lbw to Jofra Archer early in the innings.