Starc leads the way with career best bowling on opening day of Ashes

PERTH :Australia's pace spearhead Mitchell Starc stood tall with his career best bowling figures of seven for 58 to help skittle England for 172 on the first day of the Ashes opener on Friday.

The 35-year-old was leading the attack in the absence of injured captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, the two other members of the pace trio that has kept Australia on the front foot for a decade.

"I guess a nice way to start a series," Starc said in an interview on the boundary at Perth Stadium.

"It's only one innings, but obviously there's been a lot made about the two boys not being here and I guess me being the experienced one. So, nice to lead that way."

When it comes to making an immediate impact, Starc has always been a cut above as he showed when he bowled England's Rory Burns for a golden duck with the first delivery of the 2021-22 Ashes series.

It took him five more balls to get among the wickets on Friday, tempting Zak Crawley into an off-drive with a 144 kph delivery that angled across the body and nicked off the bat to Usman Khawaja at first slip.

It was the 24th time that Starc had taken a wicket in the first over of a test, a tally that puts him second only to England seamer James Anderson with 29.

His impact was by no means confined to the first over, however, and he followed that up with a full inswinger to trap Ben Duckett leg before for 21 in the seventh over.

He struck a huge blow by removing Joe Root for a duck two overs later to claim his 100th Ashes wicket, and returned in his next spell to shatter the stumps of Ben Stokes through the gate when the England skipper had made six runs.

Gus Atkinson later flapped the ball to second slip to give Starc his 17th test five-wicket haul and fifth in the Ashes, and the