Mitchell Starc Stuns England With First Ball Wicket In The Ashes

Mitchell Starc has taken a wicket in the first ball of the very first Ashes Test.

Rory Burns was sent for an early shower at the Gabba after Aussie bowler Starc took him leg stump with an absolute peach of a delivery.

"Australia can't believe it, it's all happening at the Gabba," Adam Gilchrist said in the Fox Sports commentary box.

Mark Waugh added: "It couldn't get any better for the Aussies."

With the partisan crowd inside the Gabba bearing down on him, Burns looked rather nervy as he stepped up to face the first ball in perhaps the biggest rivalry in all of sport.

And staring at him from the other end of the wicket was arguably one of the best left-handed fast bowlers on the planet in the form of a towering 6-foot-4-inch Mitchell Starc.

I mean, no pressure son.

PA

Bowling around the wicket, Starc came steaming in at pace and produced a delivery that will live long in the memory of cricket fans for some time - well, at least the Aussie ones.

The ball swung beautifully and clipped leg stump, sending the green and gold supporters into hysterics.

"That looked like a half volley on leg stump that he missed, he got too far across," Warne said.

"The old half volley on leg sutmp, bowled him... there's no swing. You've got to be able to hit that, you shouldn't miss that."

There will undoubtedly be question marks over Burns.

But for Starc, it's crazy to think that he was on the brink of getting the axe from the team not too long ago.

It wasn't long before the Aussies collected another scalp too, this time it was Dawid Malan sent packing.

Josh Hazlewood, another weapon in the Australian attacking arsenal, bowled a ripper which saw Malan take a wild defensive swing.

The ball then ricocheted off the bat and landed perfectly in the gloves of wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

PA

After three overs, the Aussies were in cruise control.

Now it's up to England captain Joe Root and Haseeb Hameed to get the Poms back on track in Brisbane.

Advantage Australia, but it's game on.

Topics: Cricket, The Ashes, Cricket News, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry