Ashes 2025: 5 Key Talking Points from Day 1 of Pink-Ball Test at The Gabba (PHOTOS)

The opening day of the Pink-Ball Test of the Ashes 2025 series was dominated by individual performances from both sides at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday, December 4. Australia and England have faced off for the fourth time in a Pink-Ball Test, with both teams showcasing adaptability under lights.

At the end of Day 1, England posted a total of 325/9 in 74 overs, with Joe Root and Jofra Archer batting on 135 and 32, respectively, as the team fought back strongly after an early batting collapse. For Australia, Mitchell Starc led the bowling attack with figures of 6/71 at an economy rate of 3.70 in his spell of 19 overs. Michael Neser (1/43) and Scott Boland (1/87) picked a wicket each.

On that note, let’s take a look at key takeaways from Day 1 of the Pink-Ball Test at The Gabba.

One of the most surprising decisions taken by Australia was to drop veteran pacer Nathan Lyon and go with an all-seam attack for the Pink-Ball Test. The spinner featured in the Perth opener, but bowled only two overs in the first innings as the Mitchell Starc-led pace attack dismantled England’s batting line-up in both innings, prompting selectors to back a purely fast-bowling strategy for the day/night clash.

Despite being the leading wicket-taker among spinners in the Pink-Ball Test, with 43 wickets in 13 matches, Nathan Lyon was surprisingly omitted from the playing XI for the Gabba clash. Speaking about his exclusion from the Pink-Ball Test, veteran Australian spinner felt ‘ absolutely filthy’ and did not discuss with the selectors the team management’s decision, but was rather focused on supporting the team.

Heading into the Gabba Test, Zak Crawley was under immense scrutiny following the twin ducks in the Ashes series opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth. However, Crawley bounced back in style with a fluent half-century. After England collapsed early in the first innings, reduced to 5/2, Crawley, alongside Joe Root, steadied the visitors’ ship and revived the team’s batting from a shambolic situation.

Crawley played a brilliant innings of 76 off 93 balls and formed a crucial 117-run stand for the third wicket with Root, steadying the innings, giving England a solid platform after a disastrous start. In the 10 innings, the England opener scored five fifties, making him one of the most consistent performers at the top for England in 2025.

Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc had a brilliant outing in the first innings of the Gabba Test. Starc gave the hosts early breakthroughs by dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, putting England on the back foot. The 35-year-old picked four more wickets of Harry Brook, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse to complete a six-wicket haul, taking his tally to 16 wickets in the ongoing Ashes series.

With his six-wicket haul, Starc has shattered former Pakistan pace bowling legend Wasim Akram’s record for the most wickets by a left-arm pacer in Tests. With 418 wickets so far, Mitchell Starc overtook Akram’s previous record of 414 scalps, becoming the highest wicket-taking left-arm pacer in the history of Test cricket.

Former England captain and veteran batter Joe Root has ended a long-awaited drought of an international century on Australian soil. The 34-year-old had a horror start to the Ashes series, dismissed cheaply in both innings of the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth. However, Root redeemed himself and registered his first century on Australian soil.

In the last three Ashes series in Australia, Joe Root recorded nine fifties, but had been unable to convert any into a hundred until now. On his fourth tour of Australia for the Ashes series, the veteran England batter finally ended 13-year drought of nded a 13-year drought of international centuries on Australian soil. Moreover, Root has completed 1000 Test runs in Australia.

Australia were looking to wrap up England’s innings when the visitors were 264/9 before tailender Jofra Archer unleashed carnage that pushed the visitors’ first-innings batting into Day 2 of the Pink-Ball Test. Walking in to bat at Number 10 after Brydon Carse’s wicket, Jofra Archer joined Joe Root at the crease to carry on England’s innings.

Archer stunned the Australian bowling attack with his firepower, as he smashed 32 off 26 balls, frustrating the hosts and helping England extend their innings into the second day. The pair formed an unbeaten 61-run stand for the 10th wicket, which helped the visitors push their first-innings total past the 300-run mark, extending the game into Day 2 with momentum on their side.