Ashes 2025-26: Ben Stokes-led England 'shellshocked' by Travis Head's Perth punishing

England captain Ben Stokes admitted he and his team had been left shellshocked by Travis Head’s stunning 69-ball century, as Australia overcame the chaos of the first three innings in the first Ashes Test at Perth to secure an eight-wicket win with three days to spare.

He attacked from the outset, taking Australia to their target in just 28.2 overs. The innings showcased Australia comprehensively outplaying England in their own hard-hitting style. Stokes expressed his admiration for Head’s performance during the post-match presentations, acknowledging the match winner’s impact on the outcome.

Head played an astonishing knock of 123 runs that came off just 83 deliveries on a pitch where the speedsters were enjoying their time in the middle. His blitzkrieg at Perth gave absolutely no chance to England to show any signs of fight in the fourth innings, as Stokes believes that it is one knock that has left him in absolute awe of the left-hander.

"We're a little bit shellshocked there. That innings from Travis Head was pretty phenomenal. It's quite raw, quite fresh at the moment but, geez, that was some knock. It's knocked the wind out of us,” said Stokes to the broadcasters.

Bravery the key to success in Perth, says Stokes

Asked if he regretted England’s approach in their second innings, particularly the trio of big shots from Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Joe Root during the post-lunch collapse, Stokes insisted that the team’s strategy had not been flawed. He added that Head’s own success illustrated that the approach was sound, but it was the execution that let them down.

"If you look at the way the game eked out, the guys who seemed to have success out there with bat in hand were the guys who were really brave and took the game on. Anyone who tried to stay around there and try and occupy the crease didn't really seem to have too much success,” said Stokes.

"On wickets like this, you never think you've got enough, so if you find yourself in a position where you're the guy who's managed to get in, try and give yourself the best chance of going on. There was a lot of assistance there when the bowlers put the ball in the right areas. The guys who were brave enough to knock the bowlers off their lengths seem to find success on that,” he added.

Now, the second Test is scheduled to be played from December 4 at the Gabba in Brisbane. The upcoming encounter is slated to be a Pink-Ball fixture, and it will be interesting to see if The Three Lions are able to bounce back after losing out on the opportunity to take a lead in the series. Stokes-led England might be tempted to make a few changes to their line-up after a performance where they had little to cheer about.