The Ashes 2025: England v Australia - squads, history, odds and how to watch

Steve Smith of Australia with Ben Stokes of England stand for an Ashes photocall at Perth Stadium. Photo / Getty Images

Arch-rivals Australia and England resume Ashes hostilities today in Perth, with the hosts weakened by injuries but favourites to inflict more pain on a side with a dire record Downunder.

The highly anticipated five-test series gets under way on a fast, bouncy track at a sold-out Perth Stadium and with Ben Stokes’ visitors insisting they are not scarred by past failures.

It has been 15 years since England last clinched an away Ashes series and since then they have failed to win a test on Australian soil, losing 13 and drawing two.

This time, they touched down on the back of a thumping 3-0 one-day defeat in New Zealand and criticism over scheduling – just a single three-day red-ball warm-up on a docile pitch.

Skipper Stokes said they were starting with a clean slate, despite their miserable record in Australia.

“They’re a phenomenal team, especially in their home, so we know the next two-and-a-half months is going to be tough for us,” he said.

“All the series that have gone past, whether that be in Australia or England, I don’t think count for much.”

Ashes history

England and Australia first played each other in a test match in 1877 but the name of the most famous fixture in cricket dates to a mock newspaper obituary and cremation – often thought to be a cricket bail – after England lost at home to Australia in 1882.

England haven’t lifted the Ashes since 2015 and last won a series on Australian soil in 2010-11. The most recent series in 2023 in England was a drawn series which saw Australia retain the Ashes.

Ashes 2025 series details

1st test, Perth, November 21-25, from 3.20pm NZT

2nd test, Brisbane, December 4-8, from 5pm

3rd test, Adelaide, December 17-21, from 12.30pm

4th test, Melbourne, December 26-30, from 12.30pm

5th test, Sydney, January 4-8, from 12.30pm

How to watch

Every test will be live on Sky Sport. The Herald will have live updates.

Form guide (last five tests)

Australia: WWWLW

England: LDWLW

Australia are atop the current World Test Championship table after three wins in the West Indies. England sit sixth after a tied five-match series at home against India.

Squad news

Australia

The hosts head into the first test without captain Pat Cummins, with Steve Smith stepping in as captain again along with fellow pace bowler Josh Hazelwood out of the opening test. Alongside Scott Boland, wily campaigner Mitchell Starc will shoulder the hosts’ attack with Cummins and Hazlewood out, with Nathan Lyon the spin option and seamer Brendan Doggett tipped to make his debut.

Opening batter Jake Weatherald, the top run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season, will also make his debut in Perth.

Australia XI: 1 Jake Weatherald, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Nathan Lyon, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Brendan Doggett.

England

England head into the series at full strength with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood returning to test cricket, only the second time they have played in the same test. England are relying heavily on their own cartel of express pacemen led by Archer, Wood, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue, with Shoaib Bashir the only recognised spinner.

But it is a gamble, with Wood the only one to have experienced test cricket in Australian conditions and he has barely played since knee surgery earlier this year. Brendon McCullum named a 12-man squad for the first test. Expect Bashir to carry the drinks.

England XI: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Jofra Archer.

TAB odds

First test – Australia $1.70 England $2.35 Draw $11.50

Series win – Australia $1.60 England $3 Draw $9

Top series wicket taker – Mitchell Starc $3.75, Nathan Lyon $5, Scott Boland $5, Jofra Archer $6.50

Top series runscorer – Steve Smith $4.50, Joe Root $5.50, Harry Brook $6.50, Travis Head $7.50, Marnus Labuschagne $8.50.

- With AFP