For the first time in over four decades, Australia's Ashes summer will kick off at a venue other than the iconic Gabba. Cricket Australia announced on Wednesday that Perth Stadium will host its maiden Ashes encounter when England visits for the first Test of the 2025-26 series. This marks a historic moment for the stadium and Australia’s cricket history, as the Ashes opener moves to Western Australia for the first time.

Perth Stadium will become only the eighth venue to host an Ashes Test in Australia, with the opening match set to begin on November 21, 2025. England has a challenging record in Perth, having won only one Ashes Test in the city.

Day-Night Test at the Gabba follows Perth opener

Following the Perth opener, the series will shift to Brisbane, where The Gabba will host the second Test—a day-night affair—starting on December 4. This will be the third time The Gabba hosts a day-night men's Test, with the previous encounters being against Pakistan in 2016 and Sri Lanka in 2019. The introduction of the day-night format adds an extra element of excitement to this iconic Ashes venue.

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Traditional venues follow for the remainder of the series

After Brisbane, the third Test will take place at the Adelaide Oval, maintaining its traditional spot in the schedule. Cricket fans can then look forward to the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), rounding out the highly anticipated five-match series.

This shift in the opening Ashes venue signals a new chapter in Australia’s rich cricketing history and adds to the anticipation surrounding the iconic Ashes rivalry.

The year 1938 was significant in the broadcast industry as many TV programs, including live sports started televising as well amid a time when radio was the only source of news. As far as televised sports are concerned, The Oxford and Cambridge Boar Race, the FA Cup Final, the football match between England and Scotland, and the ice hockey match between Harringay Racers and Streatham Redskins were all televised live on TV, especially on BBC. Along with these, a Test match was also televised on BBC for the first time – the second Ashes Test between England and Australia at Lord’s – on June 24, 1938.

BBC live-telecasted Ashes Test match

However, Ashes used to cover on the radio before this way back in 1930 but that was the first time the BBC live-telecasted a Test match as well. It was the second Ashes Test between England and Australia at Lord’s after the first at Trent Bridge ended in a draw. There were three cameras where one focused on the batter, another one on the bowler and the rest focused on the general scenario.

Moreover, a commentary position was set up at the Nursery End of the Lord’s stadium and Teddy Wakelam was given the responsibility of broadcasting considering his prior experience.

 

 

 

 

 

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However, the coverage was from 11:30 AM to 12:30 (Morning session), followed by 2:30 PM to 3:30 (Till tea) and from 3:50 PM to 5 PM (Evening session) as well. Don Bradman won the toss for Australia and they chose to bat first.

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Lord’s Test witnessed a significant success

After the success of the Lord’s Test – where Wally Hammond scored a double-century (240) alongside Bill Brown (206*) the fifth match at The Oval too was telecast. In that match, England scored 903 for 7 – a record that was not broken for nearly six decades. Len Hutton smashed 364 as England won the match by a massive margin of an innings and 579 runs, which is still the largest margin of victory for a team in Test cricket as well.

The same year in 1938 – also saw BBC telecasting their first-ever overseas Test match between South Africa and England, the Christmas Eve Test, which saw Tom Goddard pick up a hat-trick on Boxing Day as well. 

England pacer Jofra Archer has announced his ambition to return to the Test arena for the next edition of the Ashes series. After battling numerous injury setbacks, Archer is determined to prove his critics wrong and is using the rest of 2024 to work towards his goal. Although he has recently returned to T20 cricket, Archer is yet to make a comeback in the longer formats of the game.

Archer’s determined comeback

In a recent interview with the BBC, Archer expressed his desire to utilize the remaining months of 2024 to ensure his selection for the Ashes remains a viable possibility. The fast bowler emphasized that he is motivated to silence the doubters who have mocked his fitness struggles on social media. Archer plans to manage his fitness diligently, aiming to reach peak condition by the start of the Championship next year, which he views as a crucial step toward his Test return.

“I am going to use the rest of this year to make sure that is at least a possibility. I’m tired of going on Instagram and seeing posts saying ‘he’s going to be on the physio’s bed in the next two weeks’ and stuff like that. I want to spend the rest of the year proving some people wrong and hopefully play in another Ashes,” said Archer.

“I will manage myself as best as possible and get myself [through] until at least maybe the start of the Championship next year. I’ll probably play a few of those [games] and keep building up and getting that workload ready for Test cricket,” he said in the same interview.

“I am feeling good and want to get some games in. I am going to enjoy this little phase of some white-ball cricket,” he added.

Focusing on fitness and future goals

Archer’s journey back to full fitness has been gradual, with Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, stating that the pacer will not be rushed into the longest format of the game.

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Archer, who was part of the England squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 where they were defeated by India in the semi-finals, is eager to manage his workload effectively and build up his stamina and form through domestic matches. His focus remains on contributing to England’s Ashes campaign and reestablishing himself as a key figure in the Test squad.

Cricket Australia announced the schedule for their home summer and Melbourne will host the Australia Women’s team in a Test for the first time since 1949. On the other hand, India and Australia will be starting the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy on November 22 at Perth.

Historic Women’s Ashes at iconing MCG

While the debate over women’s Test cricket seems like a never-ending one, Australia will be hosting England at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground for a 4-day Pink ball Women’s Ashes Test in January. MCG will be hosting a D/N Test match for the first time to mark the 90th year anniversary of the first Women’s Test series between Australia and England in 1934-35.

After the previous two Women’s Ashes were held at North Sydney Oval and Canberra, the Cricket Australia committed to schedule the Women’s Ashes Tests at some prime venues around the country this time. As a result, the iconic MCG will get to host the Women’s Test first time since 1948-49. It will also be the first time that a women’s international cricket match will be played at the MCG after 2020 T20 World Cup semi-final.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy schedule out

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy comprised of five Test matches between Australia and India will begin on November 22 in Perth. The second Test will be a D/N one played at the Adelaide Oval from December 6 followed by third Test at Brisbane from December 14, the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne from December 26 and the New Year Test from January 3 at Sydney.

While speaking of giving Perth the first match of the series over Brisbane, Peter Roach, CA’s head of scheduling mentioned about multiple factors including the broadcast timezone suitable for audiences from both countries. He also added, “The clear advice from our national team is that there is a preference to start series strongly at venues where they’re really comfortable and Perth and Brisbane they believe are somewhat comparable in terms of the advantage they get out of that.”

Zak Crawley has been the biggest question in a Bazball era that has mostly seen success. Before Stokes took captaincy, Zak Crawley had five fifties and two hundred of which one was a magnificent 267. This was in his 21 Tests before Bazball. Once Stokes came in the scoring dried up. Crawley was getting starts but he did not convert in the summer which started the new era for English Cricket. In seven Tests at home ZaK Crawley managed just one fifty and his position kept coming under the scanner outside the dressing room.

Inside the camp though, Zak Crawley’s spot was safe with the backing of the entire unit. They believed he has the capability of playing that one knock that could turn a Test, series or even a season. He proved so with his counter-attacking 122 in the first innings of a Test series in Pakistan, which led to England attacking and blazing their way to a 3-0 victory in Pakistan, allowing them to trust their ability in the subcontinent.

He did not score in the rest of the series or in the series that followed in New Zealand and could not build on his starts in the first three Tests in the Ashes. With the Ashes on the line though and knowing rain could effect the result on days four and five Zak Crawley woke up to give England their best chance of making a match and series.

He took the bowlers on, looked very good on the eye and helped England get to a 275 run lead, which would have sealed the game had rain not intervened. His knock took him to the top of the run-scoring charts in the current Ashes series highlighting the volume of starts he got, which were left unconverted. England though will be a touch gutted it didn’t come earlier. Had he played such a knock earlier, England may not have been the side praying for rain, especially after being in positions where they could have pushed for a victory in both the first and second Test.

His knock though still came at a time of immense need, giving England a lot of hope. England will hope he can continue about his aggressive ways, and maintain the fearless attitude he had in Manchester, allowing him to convert and top the run scoring charts in the current series.

Stuart Broad, running in from James Anderson is bowling in his 17th year in international Cricket. It is from the very James Anderson end where Stuart Broad went on to join his friend, and partner in crime over the last decade in the 600 wicket club. Incidentally, both of them are the only pacers who have scaled the height of 600 Test Wickets. He got their with a bouncer at 82 MPH, which is not how he normally gets his wickets. Most of his wickets have been edges to the slip with Broad finding ways to make the ball sing to his tunes.

A short ball though had Travis Head hole out to Joe Root, who has taken a number of Stuart Broad’s edges at slip to give Stuart Broad his 600th Test Wicket. When Broad went through his previous milestones though he was quick to acknowledge that most of his milestone wickets were taken away from the slips and in unconventional positions. To get to 600 with a short ball is fitting considering the tenure he has played under in the last 14 months.

With his height and reasonable pace, Stuart Broad has probably bowled more bouncers in the Stokes-McCullum Tenure than he has done in his entire career. Thanks to his competitive nature, and flexibility, he has been able to fit in beautifully with England’s new aggressive style of play. The 600 mark speaks a lot about his longevity, and throughout his career Stuart Broad has managed to maintain the same levels of passion and aggression.

Prior to the series, it was Broad who led the way to start the mind games when he spoke about his desires of getting the Australians out in a certain manner. Four Tests later, after being dropped after the previous Ashes, Stuart Broad stands at the top of the wickets chart in the current Ashes series, against his favorite opponents.

His stats back the claim that they are his favorite opponents as well with Stuart Broad only behind Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath on the wickets chart in England-Australia Tests. The fact that the milestone came against them will make Broad all the happier as he now stands in a spot where only stand along with him.

Getting close to 700 wickets without a few bad days in the office is something unachievable. James Anderson though will be running in from the James Anderson end with a lot to prove. His affect was almost negligible in the first two Tests with Anderson struggling to make the ball talk on what was a couple of lifeless tracks.

With England down 2-1 and with their backs to the wall Anderson doing well becomes all the more important. While his form is a concern, its only a side quest with England looking to equal the series and keep the urn alive for the Oval.

With a lot on the line, James Anderson returns for what could be his Final Test at Old Trafford. With three wickets at 75 in the first two Tests, Anderson looked done when he was dropped for the third Test. Getting close to 41, his performances gave the impression that Anderson, all of a sudden looked out of it. A Ten-day gap, and the dropping of Ollie Robinson though let Anderson get back in with a chance to prove his point.

Anderson’s bad run though has allowed England to try some of their other bowlers with Mark Wood and Josh Tongue impressing in their opportunities, while Chris Woakes too made a strong comeback. Anderson though, 12 wickets away from 700 will be looking to remind England of his worth, which is something that has not been questioned over the past decade.

To his defence though, Anderson has had catches dropped off his bowling in this series and he was very economical in the first two Tests. Had the chances been taken, Anderson could well be in a different discussion altogether. Anderson though chases his first Ashes win since Edgbaston 2015, and will be crucial as he targets his first five-for at Old Trafford.

Coming into the Ashes, James Anderson was seen as the threat, but funnily enough, Stuart Broad, who was about to lose the new-ball is now leading the wickets chart in the current Ashes series while James Anderson did not get the new-ball in the Edgbaston Test. He will mostly get the new ball back on a surface favoring him and England will be desperately hoping he returns to his best as they look to keep the Ashes alive.

England are slowly finding ways to push themselves away from the corner. A win keeps them in the Ashes as they head to Manchester with their hopes still alive. A 9 day break comes to an end with both teams rejuvenated and hoping to get closer to the Urn.

ENG vs AUS Match Details

Date: July 19th, 2023

Time:  3:30 PM IST

Venue: Manchester, Old Trafford

ENG vs AUS Weather Report

Cloud cover and rain showers are expected to play a part throughout the Test.

ENG vs AUS Pitch Report

A flat track is expected yet again with the call for good batting surfaces.

ENG vs AUS Head-to-Head

Played- 359 | England- 111 | Australia-152 | Draw- 96 | Tie- 0

ENG vs AUS Predicted Playing XI

England Playing XI

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Australia Playing XI

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green/ Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Todd Murphy

ENG vs AUS Key Players

James Anderson

James Anderson is back from the James Anderson end and at 40, with the way his form has been the upcoming Test could decide if he continues to if it is his last. He has not been at his best this series, struggling to pick wickets with minimal assistance from the surface, and will be hoping for some life on the surface to bring life back to his own bowling.

Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne was left clueless after his two dismissals to Broad in the previous game. He was out for two really low scores and will be disappointed as he looks to bounce back and prove further that he can perform overseas.

ENG vs AUS Match Tips

England are a changed side but seeing the Australian bowling attack and England’s head to head against their bowlers Australia could come in as favorites despite the talk about Bazball.

Match Prediction: Australia Will Win the Match

England come to Headingley needing three wins in three Tests to win back the Ashes. They have no margin for error now and come in after two tough games. Their performance in both games has been good and with a little more lucky the score could have been 2-0 favoring them instead. However, they come to Headingley down and with little breathing space, battling with the loss of Ollie Pope as well.

Australia has some losses of its own to cover. Nathan Lyon is out of the Ashes leaving Todd Murphy set to make an entry into the firing line. The bowling attack, which fielded Australia’s big three was pretty good and the line-up overall looks pretty settled.

ENG vs AUS Match Details

Date: July 6th, 2023

Time:  3:30 PM IST

Venue: Leeds

ENG vs AUS Weather Report

Cloud cover and rain showers are expected to play a part throughout the Test.

ENG vs AUS Pitch Report

The Leeds track has a green tinge to it and with cloud cover there could be a reasonable amount of swing through the innings.s

ENG vs AUS Head-to-Head

Played- 358 | England- 110 | Australia-152 | Draw- 96 | Tie- 0

ENG vs AUS Predicted Playing XI

England Playing XI

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood

Australia Playing XI

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc/ Josh Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Todd Murphy

ENG vs AUS Key Players

Ollie Robinson

Robinson has been in the firing line throughout the lead-up to this Test for his send off against Usman Khawaja. For all that has been said though, Ollie Robinson has in the past shown his ability and his numbers prove his ability despite looking like a bowler who bowls on the slower side. He will enjoy being in the firing line and will be keen to make his performances speak in the upcoming game.

Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne was left clueless after his two dismissals to Broad in the previous game. He was out for two really low scores and will be disappointed as he looks to bounce back and prove further that he can perform overseas.

ENG vs AUS Match Tips

England are a changed side but seeing the Australian bowling attack and England’s head to head against their bowlers Australia could come in as favorites despite the talk about Bazball.

Match Prediction: Australia Will Win the Match

In 2019, Australia and Tim Paine did not bring the field up for the last ball when Ben Stokes was looking really good. Eventually, he got some easy singles, kept strike, saved Jack Leach and took England home in what was a special effort.

Australia though have shown that they have learnt in these four years how to handle a player who is going really well. Unlike last time, Australia kept all their fielders back and starved Ben Stokes of any gaps in the field. They did not allow him to find boundaries, and they slowed the game down with frequent discussions with the bowler, something that was missing last time.

With Ben Stokes targetting the square leg boundary and the short ball, Australia knew that the game would be over quickly if they did not try something different. They cut off the square leg boundary and mixed it up, slowing the game and Ben Stokes strongly. Off his last 29 balls, Ben Stokes only managed to score off seven, facing 22 dot balls, leading to the slice that went to Carey. Stokes waited on Cummins and once Hazlewood gave him a delivery in his hitting range, Ben Stokes crumbled.

It was an old and soft ball, and Australia were waiting for the Ben Stokes mistake, which already came and went when Steve Smith put him down shortly after the lunch break. Australia though continued to bang the ball short which was a trend on the Lords wicket with both sides doing the same. After Stokes departed, Australia gave the same treatment to the tail as Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson were dismissed in the same fashion, pulling the ball.

With Stokes going the way he was, Australia were under the pump. A Headingley repeat looked on the cards. Without Lyon and with the pitch not doing much there was not left for Australia to do but wait. In the end, they got past the Stokes challenge and now are a win away from sealing the Ashes with an outright series win.