Watch: Mitchell Starc bowls Rory Burns behind his legs with the first ball of the 2021/22 Ashes

Dec 08, 2021 1 minute read England in Australia 2021/22

Australia enjoyed the perfect start to the 2021/22 Ashes as Mitchell Starc bowled England opener Rory Burns behind his legs off the very first ball of the series.

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England skipper Joe Root won the toss and chose to bat first at Brisbane. Given the grass left on the wicket, the recent inclement weather, and the further rain forecast later in the Test, it was not a straightforward call.

Starc was handed the new ball in Pat Cummins’ first Test as captain and immediately produced the goods for the new Australia skipper.

The left-arm quick, whose place in the side was questioned by Shane Warne in the build-up to the series, bowled a full, swinging delivery targeted at Burns’ leg stump. The England opener planted his front foot well outside the line of off-stump and was subsequently bowled behind his legs.

Burns’ front foot goes across more than most anyway but that was extreme – pure nerves first ball.

— mark butcher (@markbutcher72) December 8, 2021

Burns’ dismissal precipitated a top order collapse that saw England reduced to 11-3 in the first hour and then 29-4 shortly after the drinks break. Haseeb Hameed, playing in his first Ashes Test, was the only member of the England top five to reach double figures.

You can watch Starc’s dismissal of Burns below: