VIDEO SHOWS: ASHES PRESS CONFERENCES / STILLS FROM DAY 2 OF FIRST TEST RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: PERTH, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (FOXSPORTS AUSTRALIA – See restrictions) 1. AUSTRALIA STAND-IN CAPTAIN STEVE SMITH AND BATTER TRAVIS HEAD WALK INTO PRESS CONFERENCE 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA STAND-IN CAPTAIN, STEVE SMITH, SAYING: "Oh, man, it's got to be right up there. Wow, that was incredible to witness. You know, we came off at the tea break and we were uming and ahing who to put up top. And Heady (Travis Head) was like, I'll do it. I should do it. And I was like, go for it. We didn't like how things functioned in the first innings with Marn (Marnus Labuschagne) going up top and me batting three and what have you so yeah, Trav took it on and played one of the great Ashes knocks." PERTH, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 4. STEVE SMITH AND MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE CELEBRATING 5. STEVE SMITH AND MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE WALKING OFF AFTER VICTORY 6. BEN STOKES SHAKING STEVE SMITH'S HAND PERTH, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (FOXSPORTS AUSTRALIA – See restrictions) 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA STAND-IN CAPTAIN, STEVE SMITH, SAYING: "Yeah, I think that's got to be up there as well. Coming into today, starting 50 behind and the way our bowlers backed up was outstanding. Starcy (Mitchell Starc) had obviously an incredible game. In the first innings, we were bowling, I think he said he was bowling with a hockey puck or something like that when he came in here the other night. It was a terrible ball. It just couldn't stay on its axis. And to take seven when it's doing that was incredible and then to back it up today and bowl the way he did was outstanding. And I thought he was complemented by the other bowlers, I thought Scotty (Scott Bowland) he got his line and length and movement right today, you know that's the Scotty Bowland that we are used to and he took some really key wickets and Brendan Doggett balled really nicely as well and guys work perfectly together so we're pretty happy that we're chasing 200 in the end and it could have been far worse than that. So, you know, the boys turned up, wanted it today and got the job done." PERTH, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 8. TRAVIS HEAD BATTING 9. HEAD CELEBRATING CENTURY 10. BEN STOKES SHAKING HEAD'S HAND PERTH, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (FOXSPORTS AUSTRALIA – See restrictions) 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA BATTER, TRAVIS HEAD, SAYING: "Once you walk out into this atmosphere, I was more worried about am I capable of doing it still? I had, we've had such a big layoff in Test cricket. Your mind takes you to a game facing probably one of the better attacks I've ever faced. High quality, high pace, high speed. Am I still cut out for this on a wicket that can be pretty intimidating at times. So losing the toss wasn't ideal because you take your mind to the last year. Batting on that on day four or five was was extremely difficult against high quality past fast bowling. So I was probably more worried about that and it's worked out alright as it's finished on day two." 12. AUSTRALIA STAND-IN CAPTAIN STEVE SMITH AND BATTER TRAVIS HEAD LEAVE PRESS CONFERENCE 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND CAPTAIN, BEN STOKES, SAYING: "Yes obviously pretty tough. Going into our bowling innings there where you know, Australia have to chase the sort of highest score of the test match. We were pretty confident in our ability to be able to go on and bowl them out. I mean at the moment. I'm still in a little bit of 'wow' phase after what Travis Head has just done to us. That was a pretty incredible, special knock from Travis." PERTH, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 14. BEN STOKES AND JOE ROOT AT END OF MATCH 15. STOKES SHAKING BRANDON CARSE'S HAND PERTH, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (FOXSPORTS AUSTRALIA – See restrictions) 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND CAPTAIN, BEN STOKES, SAYING: "Well bar that innings there, Australia chasing down 200 in less than 30 overs and you know 19 wickets fell on on day one and the guys who had success out in the middle were the ones who were brave enough to take the bowlers on and get them off the length, which was the most successful. Watching our guys bowl in that first innings, it just looked impossible in particular for Marnus (Labuschagne) and Steve (Smith) to be able to score when we were able to run up and smash away at that length. And I guess for us and for me in conditions like that, on wicket sites like that, that offer a lot to bowlers when you are the one who's managed to get the time out in the middle, read the wicket and understand it, it's just realising that you know, enough is never enough even on a wicket that is obviously offering a lot to the bowlers. Yeah, it's pretty obvious that the guys who manage to find success out there were the ones who really decided to take the game on because there was a lot happening out there." PERTH, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 17. BEN STOKES LOOKING FRUSTRATED 18. AUSTRALIA CELEBRATING 19. TRAVIS HEAD CELEBRATING CENTURY 20. TRAVIS HEAD CELEBRATING CENTURY STORY: Makeshift opener Travis Head scored a brilliant 83-ball 123 to lift Australia to an astonishing eight-wicket victory inside two days against England on Saturday (August 22), powering his side to 205-2 late in the final session of the Ashes opener at Perth Stadium. The manic style of cricket, which produced the shortest Ashes test by overs-bowled to deliver a result since 1888, kept the crowd enthralled as both sides gained and relinquished the ascendancy throughout. England had set Australia a target of 205 after being bowled out for 164 by tea on day two, losing nine second-session wickets in the wake of a Scott Boland seam masterclass of four for 33. The tourists had made 172 in their first innings. The fourth innings raced to a conclusion with Head clubbing four sixes and 16 boundaries before launching Carse to Ollie Pope at deep midwicket, hugging Labuschagne and soaking in the applause as he walked off. Stand-in skipper Steve Smith, unbeaten on two, hit the winning run with a single punched to the off-side. England had quickly bowled Australia out for 132 to start the day, breaking the last-wicket partnership between Nathan Lyon and Brendan Doggett which added only nine to the side's overnight score. (Production: Suramya Kaushik)
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