The Ashes Tour of Australia 2025/26

England Squad:

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

Test Schedule:

21st-25th November 2025
First Test, Perth (Optus Stadium)

4th-8th December 2025
Second Test, Brisbane (d/n)

17th-21st December 2025
Third Test, Adelaide

26th-30th December 2025
Fourth Test, Melbourne

4th-8th January 2026
Fifth Test, Sydney

It's been known for a while that Pat Cummins will miss the first test in Perth. But now Josh Hazlewood has also been ruled out after suffering a muscle strain in a Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales earlier this week.

Probable test team for the first test:

Ben Stokes ©, Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood.

There's talk that England could go into the test without Bashir, and instead go with their battery of 4 quicks and Stokes as the bowling options. Root's availabe if they need to turn to spin.

Australia XI 1st Test Perth
Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith ©, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett

I see this as one of our best ever teams. We'll look back on the good old days when we had Stoke, Root and Brook, along with a quartet of fast bowlers.

Quite a bizarre & random response from stand in captain Steve Smith after he was asked about Monty Panesar's comments about Smith & Sandpapergate, Penesar suggested that if the boot was on the other foot the Aussie would be calling us out as cheats & stirring the pot, questioning why our press are not piling on Smith. Smith elected to bring up Monty's brainless performance on Mastermind as a method of dismissing anything he had to say by his lack of general knowledge.

The most alarming stat regarding England's record in Australia is just 9 Test Match victories since 1980, 45 years of drought.

I would sit quietly on the fence and say this..

Winning the toss is key and I have heard they are using a 'drop in' pitch in the new stadium. If we win the toss, I would imagine Stokes will go for batting first and getting a big enough total to put the Aussies under pressure. If we also win the toss and put the Aussies in first, then I would think Stokes will turn to Archer & Wood (if he plays) to make the opening half hour - 45 minutes an uncomfortable one for the Aussie openers.

(20-11-2025 19:10 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  Quite a bizarre & random response from stand in captain Steve Smith after he was asked about Monty Panesar's comments about Smith & Sandpapergate, Penesar suggested that if the boot was on the other foot the Aussie would be calling us out as cheats & stirring the pot, questioning why our press are not piling on Smith. Smith elected to bring up Monty's brainless performance on Mastermind as a method of dismissing anything he had to say by his lack of general knowledge.

From what I read Smith had been fed those comments by an Australian reporter in advance of the question. To me that suggests a degree of nervousness that the Aussies have turned to an admitted & convicted cheat to step in as Captain

(20-11-2025 18:48 )Snooks Wrote:  Australia v England

First Test, Perth (Optus Stadium)

Friday 21st November 2025 - 2.30am BST start

Day One:

Toss result to follow later....

Pick it up from 2:30 am on TMS on Five Live (or five live extra) snooks.