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Australia vs England 1st Test of The Ashes 2025-26 series will start on November 21 at Optus Stadium in Perth. This match marks the beginning of a fiercely contested five-Test series between the traditional Ashes rivals. Optus Stadium is known for its fast and bouncy pitch, offering a challenging contest particularly for batters against the quick new ball.
Australia have named an XI featuring two debutants, opener Jake Weatherald and pacer Brendan Doggett, alongside seasoned players like Steve Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, and Mitchell Starc. Smith leads the side in the absence of injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. The Australian batting lineup looks solid, including Usman Khawaja and Travis Head, while the bowling attack features pace spearheaded by Starc and spin from Nathan Lyon.
England enter the match with a strong pace arsenal, including Jofra Archer and Mark Wood returning from injury, supported by Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson. Veteran batters Joe Root, Ben Stokes (captain), Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook form the core batting unit, while Jamie Smith will keep wickets. England aim to break their long winless streak in Australia, with an aggressive mentality to challenge the hosts on the fast Perth pitch.
AUS vs ENG, 1st Test: Match Details
- Date and Time: November 21; 7:50 am IST / 2:20 am GMT / 10:20 am Local
- Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
AUS vs ENG, Head-to-Head Record (Test)
Matches Played: 361 | England won: 112 | Australia won: 152 | No results: 97
Optus Stadium Pitch Report
The Perth Stadium track is considered the quickest pitch in Australia, favouring fast bowlers early on with significant pace and carry. Historically, the first day sees lively bounce and movement, making batting difficult and leading to multiple wickets falling early, as last year both teams were bowled out under 150 in their first innings. However, the pitch tends to ease after the initial day, allowing batters to settle and put up substantial scores. Fast bowlers like Starc for Australia and Archer and Wood for England are expected to exploit these conditions aggressively.
Playing XI of both the teams
England (Probable playing XI): Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland
AUS vs ENG, 1st Test: Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Australia wins the toss and bats first.
- Australia 1st innings score: 345-355
- Australia 2nd innings score: 185-195
Case 2:
- England wins the toss and bats first.
- England 1st innings score: 330-340
- England 2nd innings score: 170-180
Match result: Team batting first to win
