AUS vs ENG, 1st Ashes Test: Optus Stadium Stats and Records | England tour of Australia 2025-26

The five-match Ashes 2025-26 Test series between Australia and England is set to commence on Friday (November 21) at Optus Stadium in Perth. The fixture marks the return of the Ashes rivalry to a venue known for its rapid pace and bounce, setting the tone for what is predicted to be a high-octane series.

Australia aims to retain the urn despite key absences

Australia, who currently hold The Ashes after drawing the 2023 series 2-2 in England, face a challenging start. They enter the series with a depleted fast-bowling unit, with captain Pat Cummins (back injury) and Josh Hazlewood (hamstring strain) both ruled out of the 1st Test.

• Stand-in Captain: Steve Smith steps in to lead the side, a role where his average remarkably jumps to almost 69.
• Debutants: Australia have confirmed two debutants for the opening Test: fast bowler Brendan Doggett and opening batter Jake Weatherald. Doggett’s inclusion, alongside Scott Boland, means an Australian men’s Test XI will feature two players with Indigenous heritage for the first time.
• Batting Order: The injury to opener David Warner has been a long-term issue, allowing the in-form Marnus Labuschagne to reclaim his preferred Number 3 spot.

The home side will rely heavily on their batting cornerstone, Steve Smith, and the veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who needs just two wickets to pass Glenn McGrath’s tally.

England seeks to end a 15-year drought down under

England faces an uphill battle as they look to reverse a dismal record, having not won a Test series on Australian soil since the famous 2010-11 tour. This long drought casts a shadow over the visitors, who are keen to prove their aggressive “Bazball” philosophy can succeed in Australia’s notoriously fast conditions.

The visiting side’s morale has recently been boosted by a hard-fought 2-2 series drawn over India at home, suggesting the squad has settled and is ready for the challenge of the mighty Baggy Greens. For England, captain Ben Stokes will be demanding high-risk, high-reward resilience from his batting unit against Australia’s formidable pace attack. The team, relying heavily on a fit-again Jofra Archer and Mark Wood to exploit the Perth bounce, will look to their bowlers to make early inroads and turn their fortunes around in this challenging country.

• Key Players: Captain Ben Stokes remains the talisman, both with bat and ball. Former captain Joe Root needs to break his long-standing jinx of not scoring an Ashes century in Australia.
• Pace Attack: England’s fast-bowling group, led by a fit-again Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, is considered one of their most hostile in years, and they are expected to be the main threat on the Perth pitch.

Perth’s Optus Stadium’s famed pace track

The Optus Stadium in Perth will host its first-ever Ashes Test, taking over from the WACA as the premier venue in Western Australia. The surface is famously suited for pace bowlers, promising high-speed action early on. The pitch behaviour is characterized by a hard, fast, and bouncy surface offering consistent pace and lift.

This aids fast bowlers, allowing them to extract movement and take wickets with perfect hit-the-deck deliveries. Batting conditions are generally good in the early innings, but the pitch tends to become slower as the match progresses, eventually bringing the spinners into play on Days 4 and 5.

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AUS vs ENG 2025: Ashes playing XI for the Perth Test (1st Test)

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, and Scott Boland.

England: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Optus Stadium Test Stats and Records (Perth)

The Optus Stadium has hosted a limited number of Tests, but its characteristics are clear.

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