Ashes 2025: How the 1st Test in Perth is Building Up?

The Ashes is considered as one of the biggest rivalries in Test cricket. Australia and England get involved in a gruesome battle of 5 Test matches to determine their supremacy. This year, the Ashes will be hosted in Australia from November 21, and the schedule is already out. Below is the schedule for Ashes 2025-26.

Ashes 2025-26 Schedule

Ashes 2025 Squads

Both teams have already announced their squad, with the hosts and defending champions, Australia, announcing their squad for the first game only. Let’s take a look at both the squads,

Australia’s First Test squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Key Takeaways:

• Skipper Pat Cummins will be missing the opening Test due to a prolonged stress injury to his back.
• Senior batter Steve Smith will be leading the side in the first Test.
• Marnus Labuschagne has returned to the squad, despite his consistently poor showing with the bat in red-ball cricket.
• Exciting young opener Sam Konstas has been dropped owing to his poor outing in the Caribbean.
• Left-hand top-order batter Jake Weatherald has got a call-up in the Australian squad.
• The 31-year-old was a standout performer in the Sheffield Shield last season, where he amassed 906 runs in 18 innings for Tasmania at an average of 50.33. He is expected to partner with Usman Khawaja at the top.

England Squad: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood

Key Takeaways:

• Ben Stokes to captain the side first time in Australia.
• This could probably the the last Australian trip for England’s great Joe Root. The veteran batter would be hoping to achieve what has evaded him in Australia, i.e., a Test ton.
• In a surprise move, Will Jacks has been named in the Test squad. A debut awaits if he gets game time on this trip.
• Josh Tongue, Mark Wood, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, and Jofra Archer will form a formidable pace attack.

Expected Playing XI for the 1st Test of Ashes 2025

With both teams already announcing their respective squads, take a look at how the two lineups could stack up for the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Western Australia.

Probable XI Australia

1. Usman Khawaja
2. Jake Weatherald
3. Cameron Green
4. Steven Smith (C)
5. Travis Head
6. Beau Webster
7. Alex Carey (WK)
8. Mitchell Starc
9. Nathan Lyon
10. Josh Hazlewood
11. Scott Boland

• Jake Weatherald is likely to make his Test debut and partner with Usman Khawaja to open the innings for the side.
• Right-arm seamer Brendan Doggett has been recalled to the squad.
• Cameron Green, who will be playing as a specialist batter in the entire series, will bat at no 3.
• Stand-in skipper Steven Smith will bat at no 4, followed by the usual suspects, Travis Head, all-rounder Beau Webster, and wicket-keeper Alex Carey.
• Mitchell Starc will be leading the pace bowling attack, like he always does. His pace bowling partners would be Josh Hazlewood and Australia’s injury choice bowler Scott Boland.
• Veteran Nathan Lyon will once again be the flag bearer in the spin bowling department.

Probable XI England

1. Ben Duckett
2. Zak Crawley
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Harry Brook
6. Ben Stokes (C)
7. Jamie Smith (WK)
8. Jofra Archer
9. Mark Wood
10. Brydon Carse/Shoaib Bashir
11. Gus Atkinson/Josh Tongue

• The usual suspects, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, will be opening the innings.
• Vice-captain Ollie Pope will be batting at no 3, followed by Joe Root, Harry Brook, skipper Ben Stokes, and wicket-keeper Jamie Smith.
• Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and one among Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Brydon Carse will act as the third pacer in the lineup.
• Shoaib Bashir will be the lone spinner on Perth’s surface. However, if the team management decides to go all pace attack, Bashir would make way for an extra seamer.

As the excitement builds up for the first Ashes Test on November 21, here’s our guide for the 1st Test. Everyone’s excited and looking forward to this tailored rivalry between Australia and England, which has lasted for ages.