2025-26 Ashes Series

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Australia vs England The Ashes 1st Test Tips - Brutal reality check looms for Bazball in Ashes opener

Adam Cusworth

Editor

Last updated: Wed 19 Nov 2025 10:07

Adam Cusworth 19 Nov 2025

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Perth Stadium in Western Australia plays host to the 1st Test of the five-match Ashes series between Australia and England
First ball is at 1:20PM AEST, Friday November 21.
The 2023 Ashes Series finished up at 2-2
Australia were 4-0 winners the last time the Ashes were played on Australian soil

Australia vs England The Ashes 1st Test Tips

Australia vs England Ashes 1st Test Preview

Australia vs England Ashes 1st Test Preview
Head to Head
Australia Form & Team News
Australia Ashes Squad
England Form & Team News
England Ashes Squad

Australia will hand England a brutal reality check in Perth to open up the 2025/26 Ashes Series.

The Ashes shapes as the defining clash of England’s Bazball era, but all signs point to an Australian side perfectly built for the conditions and the moment.

Their record at home against England is overwhelming — the visitors haven’t won a Test in Australia since 2011 — and Perth Stadium remains one of the most hostile environments in world cricket for touring nations.

Even without Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, the backbone of Australia’s attack, this is still a team with enough firepower, depth and local knowledge to dictate terms from ball one.

The Optus deck promises exactly what England don’t want: genuine pace, steep bounce and relentless carry through the day. Australia have thrived on these surfaces for decades, and their ability to reload fast-bowling talent is unmatched.

Scott Boland’s precision, Mitchell Starc’s intimidation, and the much-awaited debut of Brendan Doggett form a trio capable of sustaining pressure from both ends. Add Nathan Lyon — the venue’s most prolific bowler — and the attack remains balanced, threatening, and perfectly suited to exposing England’s aggressive instincts. With the bat, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are proven in these conditions, Travis Head thrives on the fast-scoring tempo, and Cameron Green arrives off a promising domestic lead-in, having been nursed back from injury.

England’s ultra-aggressive approach will be tested like never before. Bazball has produced spectacular highs, but it has yet to prove itself on fast Australian wickets where hard length bowling and patience win long battles. If England lose early wickets — and history suggests they will — their middle order could be exposed to long spells of pressure from Lyon, who thrives when batters are forced to counterattack.

This is also a side with limited experience in Perth; none of their XI have played a Test at the venue, and their warm-up against the Lions provided little insight into the intensity waiting for them under Ashes heat. Their pace brigade is stacked, but deploying four frontline quicks on an unforgiving surface brings risk as much as reward.

With Wood and Archer in full flight with the ball, England can be dangerous in bursts, but across five days Australia look better equipped, better settled and better suited to the unique demands of Perth.

Take the Aussies in the head to head betting with Smith and Labuschagne amongst the runs. Brendan Doggett can make an impact on debut with the ball.

Head to Head

England have not won an Ashes Series or a single test match on Australian shores since their 3-1 win in 2010/11. Since then, it has all been one-way traffic down under with Australia going 5-0 in 2015/16, 4-0 in 2017/18 and 4-0 in 2021/22. The last two series in England have been squared at 2-2.

In the 2023 Series, Zak Crawley and Harry Brook both averaged over 50 with the bat for England, while Usman Khawaja was a tick under at 49.6. Mark Wood helped turn the tide with the ball, going at 20.21 after coming in to the side when England were 2-0 down.

In Australia, however, we will face a completely different set of circumstances with the weather and the pitch conditions. Crawley is one of five Englishman to have played here and averages just 27 with the bat, while the top batsman, Joe Root is yet to reach three figures. Travis Head averaged just under 60 in 2021/22, while Scott Boland took 18 wickets at just 9.56 in the 2021/22 series. Overall, Australia have 152 wins to 112.

Australia Form & Team News

The Aussies are on a seven match winning streak and took out the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India last summer. They are unbeaten in their past four Test series since the 2023 Ashes, sweeping the West Indies 3-0 earlier this year.

Despite missing Pat Cummins (back) and Josh Hazlewood (hamstring), the side boasts outstanding depth — Scott Boland is set to partner Mitchell Starc and debutant Brendan Doggett, who has taken 48 wickets in his past 10 first-class matches.

Selectors face intriguing calls at the top of the order with Usman Khawaja locked in but Jake Weatherald pushing for a debut, while Labuschagne may shift to opener. Both all-rounders, Cameron Green and Beau Webster, are in contention to strengthen the lower order; Green impressed with a 94 in his Shield warm-up while Webster claimed 8-123 for Tasmania across two innings’.

Nathan Lyon returns after missing the pink-ball Test in Jamaica, sitting just two wickets shy of overtaking Glenn McGrath as Australia’s second-highest Test wicket-taker.

Led by Steve Smith in Cummins’ absence, this Australian outfit remains settled, experienced, and extremely difficult to beat at home. The fast bowling combination may be newer, but the system around it — disciplined lines, superior fielding, and relentless pressure — remains pure Australian Test cricket.

Australia Ashes Squad

Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England Form & Team News

England drew 2-2 with India on home soil in the northern hemisphere summer of 2025 and were 2-1 winners against New Zealand 12 months ago. They arrive in Perth full of belief under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, but questions linger about how their ultra-aggressive “Bazball” style will hold up in Australian conditions.

Since drawing the 2023 Ashes 2-2 at home, they’ve played mixed cricket — a drawn series against India, a heavy defeat in Pakistan’s spinning conditions, and flashes of brilliance from emerging players like Harry Brook and Ben Duckett.

Their warm-up against the England Lions in Perth produced useful time in the middle for Ollie Pope, who struck a century to all but secure the No.3 spot ahead of Jacob Bethell. England’s pace battery is stacked: Jofra Archer returns for his first Test on Australian soil since 2019, supported by Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, and Josh Tongue.

Whether they go with four quicks or include off-spinner Shoaib Bashir remains the biggest selection debate. Joe Root continues to anchor the batting, chasing his maiden Test century in Australia, while Stokes’ all-round value gives the visitors flexibility.

England Ashes Squad

Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood

Verdict

Ashes 1st Test

Australia to open up with win on the back of strong batting from Marnus and Smith. Doggett amongst the wickets on debut

Australia

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