Travis Head’s 69-ball 100 to fastest Ashes Test: Records broken in AUS vs ENG 1st Test

From Head's century to the game getting over in just a couple of days, let's take a look at multiple records that tumbled in the 1st Ashes Test

Multiple records were broken as Australia cricket team romped home to a 8-wicket win in the AUS vs ENG 1st Ashes Test in Perth on Saturday. The contest, which lasted for just two days, saw Travis Head and Mitchell Starc power the hosts to a mammoth win and allow them to take a 1-0 lead in the high-octane series. From Head’s whirlwind century to the game getting over in just a couple of days, let’s take a look at multiple records that tumbled in the 1st Ashes Test.

Records broken in AUS vs ENG 1st Ashes Test

Only five Tests in the Ashes have ended in two days time and the AUS vs ENG 1st Test in 2025 marked the first time in over 100 years that a game between the two sides has ended in a couple of days. This also marked the first time a Test between England and Australia has been wrapped up within 2 days in Australia.

The AUS vs ENG 1st Test at the Optus Stadium also marked the third shortest Test in terms of balls bowled in an Ashes contest. 847 deliveries were all that were bowled in the game that began on November 21 and ended on 22.

Thirdly, England only faced 405 balls across two innings in the AUS vs ENG 1st Ashes Test. The visitors faced 32.5 overs in the first innings followed by 34.4 overs in the 2nd. It is the third shortest they faced in a Test where they got bowled out twice after 325 balls at the MCG in 1904 and 388 balls at Lord’s in 1888.

Fourthly, Australia registered their highest run-rate in a fourth innings chase, managing 7.23 as they chased down a 205-run total in just one session. They only took 28.2 overs to get to the target of 205, overtaking the previous highest of 5.98 by England against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2022. By the virtue of this loss, England have now registered nine consecutive defeats in Perth.

Meanwhile, Head has equalled David Warner on the list of batters to smash the fastest Test centuries. In the Ashes, only Adam Gilchrist has scored a century faster than Head, having taken 57 deliveries to reach the landmark in 2006/07. Head’s 123-run knock is also the highest ever by an opener in the fourth innings of an Ashes Test in the 21st century.