Australis vs England, the Ashes Series 2025
Australia and England are set to meet in the opening match of the England tour of Australia, marking the first Test of The Ashes 2025. The contest will be held from November 21 to 25 at Perth Stadium, Perth, with play beginning at 7:50 AM IST.
Australia’s squad features Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (w), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland, Beau Webster, Josh Inglis, and Michael Neser. England, on the other hand, will field Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (w), Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, and Will Jacks.
Several key battles are expected to shape the opening Test. Stand-in Australia captain Steven Smith will aim to lead from the front, but he will have to negotiate the fiery pace of Jofra Archer, who is likely to target him with aggressive short-pitched bowling. Travis Head, known for his attacking style, will look to impose himself early in the series, setting up an exciting duel with Mark Wood, who returns hungry for success after an injury layoff.
England’s senior batter Joe Root will be eager to finally register his maiden Test century in Australia, but Mitchell Starc’s left-arm pace presents a major challenge at the start of the series. Meanwhile, captain Ben Stokes will play a crucial middle-order role for England and will face Scott Boland, who made headlines during the 2021 Ashes with a remarkable six-wicket haul at the MCG and will be keen to repeat those heroics.