The greatest rivals Australia and England (AUS vs ENG) are set to lock horns with each other as the 2025-26 Ashes begins at the fast and fiery Optus Stadium in Perth.
Preview
The greatest rivals are set to lock horns with each other as the 2025-26 Ashes begins at the fast and fiery Optus Stadium in Perth. Australia will enter the series with a strong winning momentum and an unbeaten 15-Test Ashes streak on home soil, but player injuries like Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood could leave their pace attack thinner than usual. Led by Steve Smith, the squad has young debutants Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett, alongside in-form performers Labuschagne, Head, Green, Starc, and Bolan.
England, on the other side, would be led by Ben Stokes, who will be coming with renewed confidence after they had a 2-2 draw series against India earlier this year. Their squad lineup boasts players like Archer, Wood, Carse, and Atkinson, who will strengthen the pace order and are ready for Perth’s bounce. Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ollie Pope will form the backbone of the batting order as Bazball debuts in Australia.
Match Information
Australia vs England, 1st Test
The Ashes, 21 Nov 2025, Fri, 7:50 AM IST ,Perth
Probable PlayingXI
Australia
Steve Smith(C), TM Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, J Weatherald, C Green, AT Carey, SM Boland, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Brendan Doggett
Bench: JP Inglis, BJ Webster, Michael Neser, Sean Abbott
England
JE Root, Zak Crawley, HC Brook, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes(C), BM Duckett, BA Carse, Jofra Archer, AAP Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood
Bench: Jacob Bethell, WG Jacks, MJ Potts, JC Tongue
Injury News – (will be added when there is an update)
Pitch Report
Captains
Steve Smith AUS | bat – 8.5
With an exceptional Ashes record, especially at Perth, and with strong form in the Test, he will be expected to lead the team and dominate.
Joe Root ENG | bat – 8.5
Root is England’s most reliable Test batter, with elite numbers under his belt. His ability to play pacers—he would be expected to shoulder England’s scoring load on a tough pitch.
Top
Harry Brook ENG | BAT – 6.5
Brook is capable of turning sessions quickly in testing conditions. With 920 runs in his last 10 Test matches and an average of 50, he would be a good fit.
Mitchell Starc AUS | BOWL – 8.5
Starc has 41 wickets in his last 10 Tests and also holds a brilliant record on Perth pitch conditions with 26 wickets under his name.
Budget
Scott Boland AUS | bowl – 7.5
With home advantage and an outstanding home record, he is perfectly suited for the pace pitch like that of Optus. He would likely bowl long and impactful spells.
Gus Atkinson ENG | bowl – 8
Atkinson, with his pace ability can exploit early seam and bounce. With his ability to pick early and wicket-taking abilities, he would be a great addition to the team.
Avoid Player Message
Matty Potts – ENG | BOWL – 8
DV vs ADKR Dream11 Prediction, Match 4, International League T20 Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Updates
AS W vs HH W Dream11 Prediction, Match 37, Womens Big Bash League Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Updates
MR W vs SS W Dream11 Prediction, Match 36, Womens Big Bash League Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Updates
GG vs MIE Dream11 Prediction, Match 3, International League T20 Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Updates
