The 2025 Ashes series is poised to kick off in Perth on Friday, with England hoping to break a 15-match winless streak in Australia and end their long-running Ashes drought on Australian soil. The opening Test promises to be a thrilling contest, with both teams entering the series with a mix of excitement, uncertainty, and key player absences.
For Australia, this series marks a new chapter, with captain Pat Cummins and pacer Josh Hazlewood both sidelined due to injuries. Their absence leaves Australia’s bowling attack understrength, though the team is still confident in their ability to defend their home turf. Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc and veteran offspinner Nathan Lyon will lead the attack, supported by debutant Brendan Doggett and fellow fast bowler Scott Boland. The match will also feature a historic moment as two Indigenous players, Doggett and Boland, take the field for the first time in an Australian men’s Test XI.
“We’re not just playing for the Ashes, we’re playing for pride, for history,” said Lyon in a pre-match interview. “It’s going to be tough without our main men, but we’ve got the depth to make it count.”
The Australian batting lineup has also undergone changes, with 31-year-old Jake Weatherald set to make his Test debut, while Marnus Labuschagne returns to the middle order at No. 3. Stand-in captain Steve Smith, who led the team in two Tests earlier this year, will be looking to guide Australia to another successful Ashes campaign.
On the other hand, England is entering this series with a renewed sense of hope under captain Ben Stokes, who has made it clear that breaking the team’s Ashes drought in Australia is his top priority. England’s record Down Under in recent years has been dismal—13 losses and 2 draws in their last 15 Tests—but the team is banking on its pace attack to make an impact in the fast, bouncy conditions expected at Perth Stadium.
Stokes, who will also bowl in the series, will rely on express pacers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood to lead the charge. Both bowlers are primed for the challenge, with Wood having recovered from a minor hamstring injury in time for the opening Test. England’s fast-bowling arsenal will be complemented by Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson, both of whom could feature in the starting XI, with spinner Shoaib Bashir also included in the 12-man squad.
“This is a huge opportunity for us,” Stokes said in his pre-match press conference. “I believe we’ve got the squad to finally end this drought. The Aussies are tough at home, but we’ve got a team that’s hungry for success.”
The pitch at Perth Stadium, known for its pace and bounce, is expected to play a major role in the first Test, with both teams likely to field seam-heavy attacks. Australia’s missing pace leaders, Cummins and Hazlewood, are certainly a blow, but with the bowlers they have at their disposal, they’ll still be a formidable force. For England, however, this could be the perfect opportunity to turn the tide in their favor and prove they have the weapons to beat Australia in their own backyard.
The Ashes series, which spans five Tests across seven weeks, kicks off at Perth Stadium on Friday, and both teams will be hoping to make an early statement in what promises to be a historic and fiercely contested battle for the coveted urn.
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