Ben Stokes was left "shell-shocked" by the nature of England's defeat by Australia in the opening Ashes Test.

The Baggy Greens drew first blood in the series with three days still to play, soaring to an eight-wicket victory in Perth.

England were bowled out for 164, with Zak Crawley becoming the first opener in the 21st century to score a pair of ducks in a men's Ashes Test.

Travis Head then took centre stage with an impressive knock of 123 – reaching his century in just 69 balls – as Australia successfully chased down their target of 204.

Head's ton was the second-fastest in the history of the series, after Adam Gilchrist took just 57 deliveries to reach triple figures in December 2006.

"I'm shell-shocked a little bit, wide-eyed after that to see what unfolded," Stokes told Test Match Special. "Particularly after the first day, our third innings with the bat, then to see what Head did with the bat.

"It's hard to settle in with plans when you look up and the runs are coming down quickly.

"We were very confident having a 200-run lead for Australia to chase. The way the wicket was playing was tough. There was a lot in it for the bowlers.

"Looking back on it, if you're the one out there with the opportunity in the middle, you've got to make sure you have the mentality that you've never had enough. The ones that had success were the ones who were brave enough to face the ball."

A disappointing start to the series.

We're beaten in Perth. pic.twitter.com/gsmjButBLy

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 22, 2025

Australia's victory came after a difficult build-up to the series opener, which saw Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out through injury.

Mitchell Starc played a starring role, becoming the first Australian pace bowler to take a 10-wicket haul in a men's Ashes Test since Craig McDermott (11-157) in February 1991.

Starc highlighted the importance of stepping up in the absence of his senior team-mates, while also hailing the performance of Head.

"You see Travis take the game on like that and come up trumps. That was something to watch," he said. "That was something else. You cannot go home and not be happy with the entertainment.

"It was a helter-skelter two days for both sides, and there was a lot made about both sides before the series. We knew if we stuck to our guns and did what we do well as a group, we would be okay. We saw Scott Boland today, and Brendan Doggett on debut was fantastic.

"I was pretty calm for the whole week. It's the first time I've not had Josh or Pat there for a while, but Scott had been around a long time.

"I was the old head in the group this week, but it didn't change my role at all. I knew if I could do what I've mostly done all right over the years, it would keep us in good stead."