Ashes 2025 live updates: Australia vs England, Mitch Starc strikes, Joe Root scores 50, day one of the second Test in Brisbane

Here we go - it's what the home supporters have come here for, Mitch Starc, with a pink ball under lights.

Joe Root, meanwhile, shows what the visitors are after with a neat push into the off side for a single.

Ben Stokes on strike, you get a sense the Aussies were after this as the field shifts and sets and finally settles with three slips, a gully, a catching point, a mid-distance square leg, a fine leg and mids on and off. The England skipper defends the first.

He defends the second too. Pivotal passage of play in this Test match, this. If Stokes falls cheaply, England could crumple.

Stokes fends to square leg. No run.

Yorker, that full ball just wobbling a little bit. Travis Head wants the ball changed. It's not going to be.

Stokes defends the last.

I popped out during that last session and the atmosphere is terrific out there in the stands.

It's not too warm out there either, which helps a lot, and both sets of supporters are in fine voice out there.

Should be a good final session as the sun goes down.

Australian supporters have, for so long, been spoiled with their bowling stocks.

Is this a bare cupboard? There are a lot of bowling prospects out injured at the moment and, to be honest, these are the best around.

But they are not as fast as Hazlewood and Cummins, which is why, when those two are fit, they don't get a look in at the team.

But the pitch does look flat and placid and that is definitely having an impact.

Hello again Old Timer, welcome back.

Yes, I agree, and that last over to Stokes before the break seems to show the way a little.

He is currently going at 3.70 an over, which is actually the third-best of all Australia's bowlers behind Mitch Starc (3.00) and Scott Boland (3.36).

It's Cameron Green (6.40) and Brendan Doggett (5.44) are the ones getting punished so far.

And there's an element that suggests that's to be expected - Bazball's gunna Baz and the English will attack the bowlers wherever possible.

But you're right, far too many loose balls so far from the Queenslander.

Another fascinating session in the books and it's probably honours even I reckon!

England will be desperately disappointed at the manner in which both Zak Crawley and Harry Brook perished, particularly before the floodlights took effect.

The conditions were fairly docile during the day session, but the ball has notably started to do more as the darkness has taken over.

England with two identical sessions of 2-98 and Joe Root remains the key to all of this, still out there on 68, 32 runs short of his first Test century in Australia.

Mitchell Starc has once again been the pick of the bowlers for Australia and prized out the key wicket of Brook upon his return to the crease.

Both Neser and Boland have also looked far more threatening as well as the day has worn on and will no doubt have a big say on proceedings in the final session.

We'll be back in a little bit to bring you all the action!

Michael Neser to continue at Ben Stokes here. This is the last over before the dinner break.

The first ball is right on the mark and Stokes defends into the off side.

Alex Carey up at the stumps and has a brilliant take as Stokes leaves one outside off stump. Good leave that from Stokes.

BEATEN! Stokes this time has a nibble at one angling across him, and it's again taken beautifully by Carey.

Well left again from Stokes as Neser angles another one across him.

Neser goes short and Stokes sways under it and Carey takes it cleanly once again. This is a keeping exhibition.

Stokes defends the final ball in the session confidently into the off side.

Starc's first ball is angled across Root again and he drives well down the pitch. It's fielded by Starc in his follow-through.

Starc's radar is well and truly on and he traps Root on the crease once again as Root defends down the pitch. No freebies here.

Root moves across his stumps and eases the next one away on the leg side to get off strike.

Starc so far has 13 wickets at an average of 11.3 in this series. He's got 3-35 today.

Groans from Australia's fielders as Starc goes for that full one that angles back into Stokes, but Stokes leaves it alone and it's not too far away from crashing into the off stump.

Starc goes full but wider that time and Stokes leans into a drive through the covers and picks up a single.

Starc goes around the wicket for the final delivery of the over, forces Root back with a ball aimed at the off stump, but Root defends comfortably enough.

England has successfully seen off another Scott Boland spell.

Michael Neser has his first spell under lights here. I'm very interested to see what he does here.

The first ball is angled across Stokes, who unconvincingly defends it into the off side.

Neser goes a hair wider and Stokes defends much more comfortably this time.

Neser gets straighter with the next all and Stokes defends into the leg side this time. He's so much more comfortable with that line.

The next ball is fuller and Stokes plants his front foot down the line and defends solidly.

Neser denies himself a maiden by going too short with the final delivery of the over, and it's called a wide as Alex Carey leaps up to take the ball in.

CHANCE! A massive let-off for Stokes! Neser gets one to rear up off a length and it catches the shoulder of Stokes' bat and the ball loops up in the air but lands safely just to the right of the pitch. Wow.

Australia trying their level best to get this ball changed. The umpires keep putting it through the rim and they're happy to continue for now.

Starc gets one to angle back into Root after pitching and catches him on the thigh pad.

The conditions have definitely changed for the better if you're a bowler.

There's that tempter for Root as Starc goes full and wide, and Root leaves it alone.

Another one angled across Root, this time a little closer to off stump, and Root leaves once again.

An identical ball and this time Root defends it into the off side with soft hands and picks up a quick single.

Stokes uncomfortably defends one into the off side and picks up a quick single. That ball reared up a little bit off a good length to catch the label on Stokes' GM.

Starc brings in a leg slip for the final delivery but it's another one on off stump and Root tries to dab it down to third man, but can't quite bisect the fielders in the slips cordon.

Boland once again on that consistent area with Joe Root defending stoutly at the moment.

Boland's starting to get that prototypical nibble either way off the pitch. Root plays one with soft hands into the slips cordon.

The next delivery is angled in at the pads and Root clips it into the leg side for a single. Not convincing, but he'll be glad to get off strike.

EDGED! FOUR! Boland angles another one across Stokes and induces a loose cover drive and this one flies through the gap in the slips cordon for another boundary.

England's skipper is looking very, very scratchy.

FOUR! Poor delivery this from Boland, as he gets on Stokes' pads and is clipped away to the fine leg boundary.

That releases some of the pressure building on England. Kerry O'Keeffe calls that "filth" from Boland in the Fox Cricket box.

Mitchell Starc is back and he's got Joe Root in his sights now.

Starc goes short with the first delivery, but it's well down leg side.

This match feels like it's very, very finely placed at the moment.

Starc stringing a few dots together here. England's run rate has plummeted in the last half hour.

Starc goes shorter and wider with the next delivery and draws a cut shot out of Root, but he can't beat the fielder placed at a deepish backward point.

Root continues to be quite watchful as Starc angles one across him and is driven to mid-off for no run.

Starc goes full and aims it at Root's pads with the final ball of the over, but Root is alert to the change-up and clips it through the leg side for a single.

With Brook gone, Joe Root's wicket is now doubly-important here for England.

Scott Boland is trying to pry out England's trump card.

Boland wraps him on the pads once again with one that pitches and seams in, but it's far too high once again to be an LBW.

This ball is starting to do a bit now.

Root counters by walking down the pitch once again and defends a length delivery into the off side.

Root defends another one into the leg side off the back foot and calls Ben Stokes through for a quick single.

Boland gets his first look at Stokes here. He's staying over the wicket for now.

The first delivery at Stokes is angled across him and he leaves it alone.

Well left again by Stokes to end the over as Boland sends another one across him, but that was much closer to off stump.

Righto then Mr Stokes, what do you have for us?

The light is fading in a hurry here, and England cannot afford to lose a big clump of wickets.

Starc has made Stokes his bunny in recent times. He's got the England skipper out 11 times.

The first few deliveries are left alone, but Starc has started to get this ball to tail back devilishly.

Starc goes at the stumps again, but this time the radar is off and he slides it down leg side.

FOUR! STREAKY! Starc leaves one full and wide outside off stump and Stokes reaches at it and edges it through the slips for a boundary. Not really a catching chance, that, with the ball squiring along the ground off the toe end of the bat.

MITCHELL STARC HAS STRUCK STRAIGHT AWAY!

A horrible shot this from Harry Brook. Starc went full and wide and Brook's eyes lit up and he goes for a big slog down the ground, but he only succeeds in nicking it through to the slips where Steve Smith takes the catch.

A massive wicket, and it brings England captain Ben Stokes to the crease.

Starc has now passed Pakistani icon Wasim Akram to become the leading left-arm pace wicket-taker in Test history with 415 poles.

Big moment in this game. With the light fading, Steve Smith calls Mitchell Starc to the crease.

Root drives Starc's first delivery upplishly through the off-side and there's a big of a mix-up between he and Brook before they go through for the single.

Scott Boland, fresh off a maiden, is back at Joe Root here.

Boland has found that line and length in the corridor of uncertainty here. We've seen throughout his career, that once he starts landing them here consistently, the nick isn't too far away.

The first two balls land in an identical stop outside off stump and Root defends both into the off side. Eight dots in a row now...

Boland goes a little wider with the next ball and Root tries to drive on the off side but miscues it. That's a dangerous shot, asking to catch the edge there.

Root walks down the track and clips it through the on side and a brilliant dive from Doggett denies what would've been a boundary. The Englishmen instead settle for a single.

Brook charges the next ball and slaps Boland through backward point down to the sweeper on the boundary for a single.

BIG LBW APPEAL! Root walks across and is wrapped on the pads, the on-field call is not out, but Smith's immediately sent this upstairs...

Ball tracking shows that the ball would've bounced over leg stump, a good decision from field umpire Nitin Menon there.

BEATEN! Green goes wider and Brook goes for a cut and plays and misses, leading to shouts of excitement from the slips cordon.

That was a shot of frustration from Brook, who's been starved of the strike lately.

BEATEN AGAIN! Green goes shorter and Brook goes for an upper cut but plays and misses again. Throws his head back in frustration.

Australia sends down a deep third man to protect that boundary.

Green is again short, but straighter this time, and Brook pulls it well in front of square and picks up two.

Brook advances down the track next delivery but Green sees him coming and drops it short and wide and the right-hander leaves it alone. Something is coming here folks, I can feel it...

Green goes super full with the next delivery and it's dug out well by Brook. He's changing his length up consistently here, no two balls are the same.

FOUR! Green goes wide again, but this is too wide, and Brook slaps it through the covers to break the shackles a little.

Australia's bowled just one maiden in 36 overs so far this innings. England ticking things along nicely.

Scott Boland to continue after drinks. Daylight is slowly beginning to fade now.

Root tries for a quick single after dabbing the first ball into the off side, but is quickly sent back by Brook.

Boland stays on a good line and length and gets one to leap up a bit at Root, who attempts to defend it into the off side.

Root walks at the next delivery and decides to watchfully see it through to the keeper.

Boland drags his length back a little but Root defends comfortably into the slips cordon with soft hands.

Boland attacks the stumps with the next delivery and Root is trapped on the crease but defends comfortably enough once again. Brook again has no interest in the quick single.

Root leaves a wide one alone to give Boland his first maiden over of the Test.

England in a great position here as we head into the second half of the day.

Root and Brook have kept things ticking along to ensure that there hasn't been a quick fall of wickets in clumps again.

England would dearly love these two to stay out there when the floodlights take over because that's when this pink ball really starts talking.

The ball seems to have gotten pretty soft, which Josh Inglis alludes to as he talks to Fox Cricket during the break, so England's batters will hope to keep taking advantage.

I wonder whether Australia keeps Starc fresh for that night session by keeping him away from the bowling crease for the remainder of the daylight portion of play.

It's a dangerous ploy because you never want Brook to get going.