Australia v England analysis: Revisiting past Ashes openers Down Under

It is now just over three weeks until Australia and England meet in Perth to get the Ashes series underway.

The importance of getting off to a positive start in the first Test cannot be understated, particularly in Australia where the opener has almost always been a strong indicator of what is in store over the following six weeks.

England have struggled of late in the first Test of an Ashes series, losing both previous contests at Edgbaston, as well as suffering heavy defeats in their last three starts Down Under.

We take a look back at where it (largely) went wrong for England at the Gabba over the previous four Ashes tours.

For exclusive stories and all the detailed cricket news you need, subscribe to The Cricket Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day

2021-22: Australia won by 9 wickets

Ashes series are defined by player narratives, iconic matches or even just one moment, and unfortunately for England fans it was just one moment from the 2021-22 series that remains so synonymous with what turned out to be another miserable away Ashes tour.

Rory Burns shuffling across the crease and exposing his leg stump to a Mitchell Starc inswinging yorker off the very first ball, after England had elected to bat, not only set the tone for the series to come but also provided a moment which encapsulated the last decade of despair on Ashes tours Down Under.

England were bundled out inside two sessions for just 147 with newly-appointed Australia captain Pat Cummins claiming 5-38, before Travis Head (152) latched onto an expensive Jack Leach and a hobbling Ben Stokes to bludgeon the joint-third fastest Ashes century off 85 balls and quell any faint hopes of a tourists fightback – who opted against including James Anderson or Stuart Broad in their XI – as Australia went on to build a sizeable first innings lead of 278.

Joe Root – who with 89 notched his highest score in Australia to date – and Dawid Malan offered some resistance second time around with a 162-run partnership for the third wicket but a collapse was not far around the corner as England lost 7-74 early on day four and set the hosts a mere 20 runs to continue their fine Test record at the Gabba.

2017-18: Australia won by 10 wickets

The 2017-18 series does not live long in the memories of most fans, not only because England were once again on the receiving end of another drubbing at the hands of a Steve Smith-inspired Australia but also as off-field drama dominated the headlines as much as the action on the field.

The Gabba Test did represent somewhat of a missed opportunity for England though and provided a significant ‘what if’ moment on day one as a recalled James Vince was run out by Nathan Lyon’s direct hit for what turned out to be a career best 83 in Test cricket, with England well placed at 145-2.

Vince and Mark Stoneman had shown immense composure on their Ashes debuts as the visitors ticked along on a slow surface, until Dawid Malan’s dismissal triggered a collapse as England slipped from 246-4 to 302 all out.

Australia found themselves up against it at 76-4 and 209-7 but England let the upper hand slip as Steve Smith masterfully anchored the hosts into a slender lead with an unbeaten 141 – only four more than his average for the entire series would be.

With England five down, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow counter-attacked with a threatening partnership, only for Ali to be somewhat controversially given out stumped by the third umpire, despite a rather questionably painted crease line, with only 40 more runs added to the total thereafter as the tail unraveled.

Needing 170 runs to take a 1-0 lead, David Warner and debutant Cameron Bancroft shared the biggest opening partnership in a successful fourth-innings run chase in Test cricket as the pair, both in the 80’s, reached the target unscathed before lunch on day five.

2013-14: Australia won by 381 runs

England arrived for the 2013-14 series as favourites and full of optimism given it was only a matter of three months since they had retained the urn 3-0 on home soil and still with fresh memories of their 2010-11 triumph, making the subsequent trouncing one of England’s worst Test defeats in Australia in recent memory – and there are many to choose from.

It even started brightly for the tourists who had their opponents 132-6 on day one until a defiant century stand between Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson eventually guided Australia up to 295, despite Stuart Broad’s best figures Down Under of 6-81.

Then came Mitchell Johnson with ball in hand, a career-defining spell of hostile fast bowling that did not only last a session or a Test match but the duration of a series, striking fear into the eyes of the English batters and providing one of cricket’s greatest redemption stories after previous struggles in Ashes series.

Stuart Broad’s cameo moved the score from 91-8 to 136 all out but after Michael Clarke kindly checked if James Anderson was wearing an arm guard out in the middle, England were shell-shocked and in truth have never recovered from the sheer brutality of a Gabba Test that paved the way for a decade of home dominance.

Warner and Clarke both struck centuries to drive home Australia’s advantage as they declared on 401-7 to set England an impossible target of 561, before Johnson returned to terrorise Jonathan Trott and co again with some fiery short-pitched bowling.

England were four down at tea on day four but, in what became an underlying theme for Ashes series to come, self-destructed during the evening session, losing 6-37 as they were dismissed for 179, with Johnson taking 5-42 to make it nine wickets for the match.

2010-11: Match Drawn

All those connected with England continue to rejoice over the infamous 2010-11 series and with good reason as the only English side to win Down Under since 1986-87, as well as the only away team to win the Ashes series since Australia in 2001.

However, England were indebted to a record-breaking performance from their top order in the second innings to secure a confidence-boosting draw after a difficult first half of the Test.

Peter Siddle’s birthday hat-trick on day one saw England falter to 260 all out, before Michael Hussey (195) and Brad Haddin’s (136) triple-century stand saw the visitors face a daunting 221-run deficit after the first innings.

From then on though it was England domination as Andrew Strauss (110) and Alastair Cook (235*) put on 188 runs for the opening partnership, with Cook going on record a then highest individual Test score at the Gabba and the sixth highest score by an Englishman in the Ashes – until he bettered himself at the MCG in 2017.

Alongside Jonathan Trott (135*), the pair saw their side to 517-1 declared in what was the most productive English partnership on Australian soil worth 329, before the captains shook hands on a draw 26 overs into Australia’s fourth innings, though it was the comprehensive manner in which England wore Australia down over the course of two days which may have had a knock-on effect for the remainder of the series.

READ MORE: Key Duels of Ashes 2025: Ben Stokes challenges Pat Cummins in the battle of nerves