AUS VS ENG 1st Test: The highly anticipated 2025-26 Ashes series between Australia and England is set to begin today on November 21st. The first match of this five-match series will be played on Friday at Optus Stadium in Perth. The toss will take place at 7:20 am Indian time, with the first ball bowled at 7:50 am. Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the first Test due to injury, so Steve Smith will assume the captaincy of the Kangaroo team. Ben Stokes, on the other hand, is the captain of the English team.
The Australian team is playing the match on its home ground, so naturally, it has the upper hand. Australia has held the Ashes since 2017-18. England last won the Ashes in 2015. The last time England visited Australia, it suffered a crushing 0-4 defeat. In fact, the English team hasn't won an Ashes series on Australian soil since 2010-11.
Regular Australian captain Pat Cummins and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will miss the first Test due to injuries. This will put more responsibility on Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. The fast bowlers could make their Test debuts alongside Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland, creating the first two indigenous players in the Australian men's Test team.
England, on the other hand, have four front-line pacers for the first game, including Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, making them an all-out pace unit. Australia are battling some injury issues, but a win in Perth would set the tone for the rest of the series.
Both Australia and England will feature in their 2nd series of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. With a PCT of 100, Australia own a 100% win record. They beat West Indies 3-0 in their lone series away.
AUS VS ENG Head-to-Head in Test Cricket
Australia and England have a long and historic rivalry. The two teams have competed in a total of 361 games, out of which Australia won 152 Tests while England clinched victory in 112 games. 97 matches also ended in draws.
Perth Stadium Pitch Report
The pitch at Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium) for the Australia vs England match is expected to be fast and bouncy, initially favouring the pace bowlers. The surface offers good pace, bounce, and slight movement, making the new ball a potent weapon for the fast bowlers. Batsmen will initially face challenges against a strong pace attack, but conditions are expected to ease as the match progresses, making batting easier in the middle overs. As the pitch dries out and some rough patches develop, more spin is expected from the fourth day onwards.
Teams typically prefer to bowl first to take advantage of the initial movement and bounce. This pitch is considered very good for pace bowlers, and Australia has a strong fast-bowling lineup for this match. The surface's bounce may change later in the match, testing batting technique and patience, especially in the fourth innings.
Australia’s XI for 1st Test in Perth: Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.
Two fresh faces will debut for Australia, with Jake Weatherald set to open with Usman Khawaja and Brendan Doggett becoming the first new Aussie fast bowler in four years to receive a Test cap.
England's XII for 1st Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse.
Broadcast and Streaming Details
The Ashes 2025/26 1st Test will be telecast on the Star Sports Network and will be live streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar app.
