The Ashes: England’s best chance in Australia for a generation? Why this year’s series could be closer than past away drubbings
In the past 50 years, no Englishman has achieved what captain Ben Stokes has been tasked with over the coming months – regaining the Ashes in Australia.
While Mike Brearley, Mike Gatting and Andrew Strauss have all captained England to away success Down Under over the past half-century, each of those three triumphs came after a home Ashes win in the previous series.
It’s not since the weather-affected 1970/71 series that Australia hosted as reigning champions and failed to retain the urn, while England have not won a Test – let alone a series – against their rivals on away soil in nearly 15 years.
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Ricky Ponting and Stuart Broad put their heads together to select an all-time combined Ashes XI from England and Australia players
England have won just six of their last 46 Tests in Australia – half of which came in their 2010/11 victory – with the last three away Ashes series resulting in two 4-0 drubbings and a 5-0 whitewash.
Stokes made his Test debut during the 2013/14 whitewash and is one of just three survivors from the 2015 home series win, England’s last Ashes success, but is now tasked with ending this extended period of Australian dominance.
History and home advantage may put Australia as favourites once again, although there’s cautious optimism within the England camp that this year’s contest could – and potentially should – be far closer than recent away editions…
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Stokes ready to embrace historic challenge
It was no surprise to see Australian media poke fun at Stokes long before a ball has been bowled, with the West Australian newspaper brandishing him a “cocky complainer” on arrival, while Joe Root is among the others mocked by the press for his previous failure to score an away Ashes century.
Stokes has also shrugged off criticism from some former England players for their perceived limited Ashes preparations, despite heading into the first Test having played just one three-day warm-up match against England Lions since their ODI series defeat in New Zealand.
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England captain Ben Stokes sends a message to the less experienced members of his side, insisting The Ashes is ‘different’ but ‘nothing to be afraid of’
The 34-year-old is confident his body will stay injury-free to play in all five Tests, having missed the end of last summer’s India series, with his sights now being on joining the “lucky few” to lead England to an away Ashes victory.
“I’ve come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few captains from England who have come here and been successful,” Stokes said.
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Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton warn Ben Stokes that, despite his great record at the head of the Test team, he will ultimately be judged by how he gets on in the Ashes
“(If we were) playing it down and not really accepting this moment for what it is, I think we would not really understand what the moment is. A lot has been spoken of about the history and how it has gone for England. This is our chance to create our own history and it is up to us how that looks.”
Options galore in England’s pace attack
England’s bowlers have dealt with numerous injuries in the ‘Bazball’ era, while a settled frontline attack has yet been found since Stuart Broad’s retirement after the 2023 Ashes and the end of James Anderson’s international career the following summer.
Mark Wood has endured elbow and knee surgery since his last Test appearance in August 2024 but is on the verge of a return, following his hamstring scare during last week’s warm-up match, with Jofra Archer also back fit after an injury-plagued few years.
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Australia’s Steve Smith says that England bowlers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer will be ‘a good challenge’ for Australia during The Ashes
Throw in Stokes returning from a torn shoulder muscle, plus Brydon Carse – who considered getting his toe amputated only last winter – and Gus Atkinson being fit, and England could have a five-man pace attack who have all clocked 90mph or higher in Test cricket.
There’s certainly no expectation for Wood and Archer to play in all five Tests, given previous injury issues, although Mitchell Johnson has described England’s hopes resting on if the pair ‘can stay fit, stay fast, and stay relentless across five brutal Tests’.
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain discuss the prosect of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood potentially lining up together
England would welcome having both at their disposal for the first Test, on a pitch described as a “green monster”, but have Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts on hand as options for pace rotation during the series.
Injuries and indecision disrupt Australia’s build-up
An aging Australian team go into the first Test with a sixth different opening partner for Usman Khawaja in just two years, as they struggle to fill the void left by the retirement of David Warner, with 31-year-old debutant Jake Weatherald the next to try to stake his claim.
Cameron Green is the only player under the age of 30 in Australia’s 15-man squad for the series opener, with the all-rounder only returning to bowling in recent weeks after undergoing lower spine surgery last October.
Captain and pace bowler Pat Cummins is out for at least the first Test, as he recovers from a lower back injury, with a muscle strain to Josh Hazlewood leaving Australia without two of their ‘big three’ pace trio.
Brendan Doggett, also 31, joins Weatherald in making his Test debut in Perth, while 36-year-old Scott Boland is likely to lead the line with left-arm quick Mitchell Starc.
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Australia’s Mitchell Starc discusses his team’s lack of experience playing Test matches in the country, ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth
A combination of injuries and out-of-form players led to former England seamer Stuart Broad suggesting that this is the worst Australia team since 2010/11.
It’s a claim that was understandably questioned by Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who said: “We’ll wait and see. We’ve got a really experienced cricket team who have had a lot of success over the last three, four, five years.”
England excited for ‘biggest series’ in evolved Bazball era
Although England’s Bazball mantra isn’t as perceived as negatively as some media have implied, with one newspaper describing the style as “dopey” and “careless thrash batting”, it evidently gets under the skin of many of their fans and past players.
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Ben Stokes has urged his England squad to rise to the magnitude of The Ashes and feels the side are in a ‘good place’ to regain the urn
England’s attacking approach since Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge in 2022 has seen them win 25 of their 41 Tests, while opener Ben Duckett believes they have evolved to be focused on ‘reading moments’ rather than ‘this entertaining, reckless at times’ team.
Those learnings will be tested in a different environment and with media attention unlike any other series, with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting suggesting England have been building towards this since the 2-2 draw when the two sides last met in 2023.
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Take a look back at some of the most heated moments from the 2023 Ashes series
“They’re a side that have been together for two years (since the 2023 Ashes), building up to this,” Ponting said. “Forget about everything that’s happened over the past two years, it was all about having a group together and a style of play that can stand up and win Test matches in Australia.”
McCullum described the upcoming Ashes, back in September, as ‘the biggest series of all of our lives’. A bold statement but one that will fuel optimistic England fans at home over the coming weeks, as they disrupt their body clocks in the hope of following a generation-defining victory.
Bring. It. On.
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Former England cricketers Chris Woakes and Michael Vaughan take part in some quickfire questions ahead of the Ashes
Ashes series in Australia 2025-26
All times UK and Ireland
- First Test: Friday November 21 – Tuesday November 25 (2.30am) – Optus Stadium, Perth
- Second Test (day/night): Thursday December 4 – Monday December 8 (4.30am) – The Gabba, Brisbane
- Third Test: Wednesday December 17 – Sunday December 21 (12am) – Adelaide Oval
- Fourth Test: Thursday December 25 – Monday December 29 (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Fifth Test: Sunday January 4 – Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground
