Perth (Australia) (AFP) - A rampaging Mitchell Starc took 7-58 as England were sent packing for just 172 on day one of the first Ashes Test against Australia on Friday, leaving them with a mountain to climb.

Batting after captain Ben Stokes won the toss on a fine day at a packed Perth Stadium, the visitors had few answers to the 35-year-old wrecking ball.

His haul came off 12.5 overs with debutant Brendan Doggett chipping in with 2-27.

Harry Brook (52) and Ollie Pope (46) offered the only resistance as England crumbled after lunch. Just four players made it to double figures.

In reply Australia reached tea at 15-1 with Steve Smith on seven and Marnus Labuschagne not-out six.

But there was drama with Usman Khawaja leaving the field before England’s innings ended and failing to return with Labuschagne instead walking out as opener with debutant Jake Weatherald.

In a brutal introduction to Test cricket, Weatherald was gone for a second-ball duck, left on the floor by a Jofra Archer bullet and given out lbw.

Khawaja was reportedly feeling stiff and is expected to bat later.

Starc bagged three wickets in an intimidating opening spell, including Joe Root for a duck, before returning to send Stokes packing in his first over after the lunch break, then mopping up.

All five previous Tests at the venue have been won by the side batting first, but England did their best to challenge that.

They got off to a horror start, rocked in the opening over after Starc was handed the new ball in his 101st Test.

The veteran strike weapon delivered as he has so many times before, enticing a thick edge from Zak Crawley that Khawaja did well to collect down low at slip, the opener gone for nought.

Starc has now taken a wicket in the first over of an innings 24 times.

At the other end Ben Duckett settled his nerves with a textbook drive off Scott Boland to bank the first four of the series.

- Starc pounces -

But just as the left-hander was getting going, Starc pounced again, trapping him lbw for 21 to leave England tottering on 33-2.

That brought Root to the crease in his latest campaign for an elusive first century in Australia.

He only lasted seven balls, edging a seaming delivery into the safe hands of Labuschagne at third slip.

Pope survived the furnace and was composed before Cameron Green was brought on and he was out lbw, leaving the visitors on 105-4 at lunch.

Brook hit Boland for a six in the first over after the break before Starc again worked his magic, taking out Stokes’s stumps with an inswinger when the captain was on six.

A fearless Brook was unperturbed and raced to his 14th Test half-century, off 58 balls, before feathering a short ball to Alex Carey, earning Doggett his maiden Test wicket on debut.

Starc then removed Gus Atkinson cheaply to give him the 17th five-wicket haul of his career and with Doggett they ruthlessly cleaned up the tail.