England vs Australia Ashes 2025: Who’s winning the November viral duel after Perth?

The short answer: Australia are ahead

After a whirlwind two-day opener in Perth, Australia lead the Ashes 2025-26 series 1-0, turning a first-innings deficit into an 8-wicket win that set social media ablaze and framed November’s most viral cricket duel decisively in their favour.

The turnaround hinged on two headline acts—Travis Head’s 69-ball century in a 123 blitz and Mitchell Starc’s match haul of ten—leaving England stunned and the series narrative tilted Australia’s way heading into the next Test.

How the Perth Test flipped

• England held a 40-run first-innings lead after bowling Australia out for 132, with Ben Stokes bagging a five-for that had the visitors on top at stumps on Day 1.
• Starc and Scott Boland ripped through England’s second innings for 164, erasing momentum and setting just 205 as a chaseable target.
• Head counterpunched like a T20 opener, reaching fifty in 36 balls and a century in 69, while Marnus Labuschagne’s brisk 51* iced the chase at 205/2 inside a single session.

The viral moments everyone shared

• Head’s six over third man and the 69-ball ton—second-fastest century in Ashes history—dominated reels and highlight packs.
• Starc’s double strike to Root and Stokes in a searing post-lunch burst became the collapse trigger fans replayed over and over.
• England’s dramatic slide from control to defeat in hours fed the ‘two-day Test’ meme wave, with Bazball’s risk-reward again under scrutiny.

Key players shaping the duel

What ‘leading’ means right now

Momentum, scoreline, and narrative all point to Australia: they not only hold the series lead but also own the psychological edge after flipping a deficit into a canter. England’s batting fragility versus the moving ball—and a quiet Joe Root—magnified doubts about Bazball’s adaptability on Australian pitches.

The Perth surface rewarded pace and bounce; with more of that expected across the summer, Australia’s attack appears better tuned, while England must find methods against Starc’s swing and Boland’s relentless length.

Where England can hit back

• Stabilise the top order: Protect Root and Brook with clearer plans against left-arm pace; leave better, play later, and deny Starc early breakthroughs.
• Bowling discipline: Replicate Day 1’s lengths longer; keep Head off strike with tighter fields and bowlers sticking to the top-of-off blueprint.
• Selection tweaks: Consider extra batting insurance or a specialist to counter Lyon if surfaces dry out later in the series.

What to watch before the next Test

• Team news on Australia’s XI balance—any rest/rotation for the quicks after a high-intensity opener.
• England’s batting reshuffle possibilities and whether Stokes doubles down on Bazball or tempers intent.
• Conditions preview: If the next venue mirrors Perth’s pace-bounce, Australia’s template holds; if slower, England’s stroke-makers may re-enter the contest.

Numbers that frame the duel

Bottom line

Australia are leading this November’s most-watched cricket rivalry on the scoreboard and the socials, thanks to a Head-Start and Starc power. England now need a statement response to reset both the series and the conversation.