England crushed by nine wickets after Ashes collapse

Australia win first Test after another dismal day for Joe Root's side

England’s Ashes campaign began with a crushing defeat at The Gabba as another batting collapse condemned them to a painful nine-wicket loss in the first Test.

The tourists lost eight for 77 on the fourth morning as early optimism turned to despair in Australia’s Brisbane stronghold.

Asked to chase a trifling target of 19, they needed just 5.1 overs to chalk up their 1-0 series lead with Ollie Robinson grabbing the consolation wicket of Alex Carey.

England had resumed on 220-2 but Nathan Lyon struck in the fourth over as the tourists finished the match in a similar vein to how they started.

Lyon triggered England’s demise when he dismissed Dawid Malan to end a 162-run third-wicket stand. With that, he joined Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) as the only Australians to surpass the 400-wicket barrier in Test cricket.

Carey, as well as moving up the order to open in the second innings because of David Warner's forced relegation for not fielding on day 3, took a record eight catches for a wicketkeeper on Test debut.

After being dismissed for 147 in the first innings and surrendering a 278-run first-innings deficit when Australia replied with 425, England revived some hope of challenging when Malan and Joe Root defied the attack for almost two full sessions on Friday.

But the stand didn't extend long into Saturday, with Malan getting an inside edge from Lyon to Marnus Labuschagne.

Root added only three runs to his overnight score, making it to 89 — his highest score in an Ashes test Down Under — before his 165-ball knock ended when he was caught behind off all-rounder Cameron Green in the seventh over of the morning.

Lyon chimed in again when he had Ollie Pope caught by Steve Smith in the slips in the next over as England slipped from 222-2 to 234-5.

The slide continued when Australia took the new ball, with Ben Stokes (14) squared up by a sharply-rising ball from Pat Cummins and edging to Green in the gully, and Jos Buttler (23) caught behind off Josh Hazlewood's bowling.

At that stage, England were 268-7, and still needed 10 runs to make Australia bat again.

Lyon returned to dismiss Ollie Robinson (8), inexplicably reverse sweeping to point, and bowl Mark Wood (6) before Green finished off the England innings when he had Chris Woakes (16) caught behind.

The loss extended a drought for England, who haven't won a Test in Australia in a decade since winning the Ashes here in 2010-11.

The five-match series moves to Adelaide, where a day-night test starts Thursday.