Players past and present react with Head the hero as Australia win Ashes opener

Travis Head bludgeoned a 69-ball century to power Australia to victory over a shell-shocked England in Perth on Saturday in the first Ashes test.

We pick out some of the reaction to the hosts' eight-wicket victory.

"Wow, what a couple of days. It's been unbelievable."

- Travis Head.

"We'll celebrate, it's an Ashes series, we're 1-0 up, it's a fantastic start."

- Head savours victory.

"Out of this world. He hit some outrageous shots."

- Stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith on Head.

"It was quite a helter-skelter two days."

- Australia paceman Mitchell Starc after taking 10 wickets in the match.

"Little bit shell-shocked there. Travis Head was phenomenal, jeez that was some knock."

- Beaten England captain Ben Stokes.

"This one will hurt us. Not just us but the people who follow the English cricket team as well."

- England coach Brendon McCullum to TNT Sports.

"England made huge mistakes with the bat in 2023 at the start of Ashes series. They went 2-0 down. They have made exactly the same mistakes here."

- Former England captain Michael Vaughan on X.

"This is a defeat they're going to find very difficult to come back from. The whole nation will now go at them."

- Ex-England skipper Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports.

"England's batting will have to be pored over and looked at."

- Former England spinner Phil Tufnell to the BBC.