Ashes 2025/26 are back Down Under, and the buzz is palpable. England head into Perth aiming to end a long drought on Australian soil, while Australia faces the challenge of defending home advantage with a slightly reshuffled side. Here’s a deep dive into the numbers, matchups, and trends shaping the series opener.
Perth Stadium: Australia has dominated here, winning 8 of the last 10 Tests. England’s only win came in 2010/11.
Series Openers in Australia (Post-WWII): England have won just 2 of 20 first Tests, losing 12 and drawing 6. The last away opener victory was 1986/87 in Brisbane.
Team Stability: Historically, the team with a settled lineup has the edge. England’s consistency under Bazball could be a factor, while Australia’s pace attack is less predictable with Cummins and Hazlewood unavailable.
Team Lineups and Key Notes
Team
Strengths
Weaknesses
Key Players
Notable Updates
Australia
Strong home record, experienced batsmen
Missing frontline pacers
Smith, Khawaja, Warner
Brendan Doggett to debut; Weatherald likely opener
England
Aggressive batting, settled XI
Historically poor series openers in Australia
Root, Stokes, Archer, Wood
Archer returning from injury; Wood fit
Batting Trends (Top 7)
Team
Runs (Last Series)
Avg
SR
100s
50s
Dot%
Att%
Def%
No%
Australia
2377
34.95
51.42
4
13
75
29.2
37.9
19
England
2536
41.57
75
3
16
59.5
43.4
28.7
8.8
Bazball Impact: England’s aggressive approach has significantly increased their strike rates and run accumulation overseas.
Australia’s bowlers will be tested early with Cummins and Hazlewood absent.
Opening Partnerships
Team
Innings
Avg
Century Stands
Highest
Australia
29
40.34
3
85
England
29
21.58
0
55
England will rely on Crawley and Duckett, historically their most successful opening pair.
Khawaja’s recent form (31.28 avg since 2024) is a concern for Australia’s top order.
Key Player Matchups
Player
Bowler
Inns
Runs
Wickets
Avg
SR
Notes
Smith
Wood
16
128
4
32
51.8
England pace test
Smith
Archer
5
94
0
NA
57.3
Aggression needed
Root
Cummins
31
286
11
26
53.4
Outside off-channel vulnerability
Root
Hazlewood
31
314
10
31.4
52.3
Consistency key
Khawaja
Wood
8
72
3
24
45.3
Struggles round-the-wicket
Stokes
Lyon
4
313
4
78.3
163
Dominant against off-spin
Factors Likely to Decide the Perth Test
Pace Attack: England can exploit Australia’s inexperienced seamers early in the innings.
Opening Partnerships: Strong starts will be critical for momentum.
Bazball Batting: England’s attacking approach can force errors from the opposition.
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