Tag: Ashes 2025

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has addressed the uncertainty around Usman Khawaja batting position upon his return for the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.

Australia are 2-0 ahead in the series, with the third Test set to commence on December 17 in Adelaide.

McDonald answered questions about Australia’s batting order, with Usman Khan returning after being ruled out of the second Test due to injury.

In Khawaja’s absence, Jake Weatherald and Travis Head opened the batting for Australia.

The 38-year-old was battling discomfort throughout the series opener in Perth and was sidelined with a back injury.

“It worked at this point in time. Pink-ball Test at the Gabba, we felt like that combination was right for those conditions and the opposition,” McDonald said about Australia’s current opening pair.

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“We will always ask ourselves the question that the selection table as we move in. At our strategy meetings, we’ll continue to ask questions on what the best line-up is for that point in time. And we’re taking this Test by Test,” he maintained.

The head coach emphasized a flexible batting order, noting that all of their batters can play any position, regardless of their number.

“The assumption is that Uzzie can only open as well. So I think that he does have the flexibility. And we like to think that all our batters have the flexibility to be able to perform anywhere in that order,” McDonald explained.

“So we’ve got a collective sort of group of batters there that, as a series wears on, the opposition may create some different challenges for us. We’re open to what it will look like for us moving forward,” he concluded while expressing confidence.

Nonetheless, Australia is likely to name a squad for the third Test with skipper Pat Cummins also returning to the fold after an injury.

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England’s fading Ashes hopes took another hit on Tuesday after fast bowler Mark Wood was officially ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a recurrence of his troublesome left-knee injury.

The veteran pacer, who turns 36 in January, played his first Test in 15 months during the Ashes opener in Perth, which England lost inside two days.

He yielded 11 wicketless overs before he reported pain and was sent for specialist assessment. He subsequently missed the second Test in Brisbane, where Australia cruised to a 2–0 lead.

The fast bowler was aiming to feature in the final two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

However, discomfort from the same knee that had required extensive surgery earlier this year forced England’s medical staff to withdraw him from the campaign.

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According to an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement, Wood will fly home later this week to continue rehabilitation under the board’s medical team.

“Wood will return home later this week and will work closely with the ECB medical team on his rehabilitation and recovery,” an ECB statement said.

The fast bowler expressed his frustration in an emotional message on Instagram.

“Gutted to be out the remainder of the Ashes,” he wrote.

 

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“After extensive surgery and seven long, hard months of work and rehab to get back into the Test arena, my knee just hasn’t held up.

“None of us expected this. I came here with high expectations about making a big impact… I remain determined to give it another proper go. Never give in. Come on, England.”

To fill the void, the ECB confirmed that seamer Matthew Fisher has been added to the senior squad.

The 26-year-old, who played his only Test in 2022 against West Indies, is already in Australia with the England Lions and will join the main squad ahead of the third Test in Adelaide starting December 17.

England’s updated Test squad

Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher.

READ: Australia quick Josh Hazlewood ruled out of Ashes after injury setback

Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was on Tuesday ruled out of the rest of the Ashes 2025 against England following an injury setback.

Coach Andrew McDonald told reporters that Hazlewood, who missed the first two Tests, had suffered problems in recovering from hamstring and Achilles injuries and would sit out the remaining three matches.

“Really flat for him. A couple of setbacks that we didn’t see coming,” McDonald said. “We thought he’d play a huge part in the series. But really feel for him that he won’t get that opportunity.”

Josh Hazlewood will now aim to be fully fit for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, which begins in February.

Fellow fast bowler Pat Cummins looks certain to return as captain when Australia look to wrap up the series in next week’s third Test in Adelaide.

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The 32-year-old Cummins has been sidelined since the tour to the West Indies in July with a lower back injury.

McDonald said that Cummins had come through a match-like workload in training last week and was ready to play.

“This is something we’ve done with Pat before with longish layoffs, where we’ve put some time and effort into rebuilding his body,” said McDonald.

“He simulated pretty much what a match will look like out there with multiple spells. So we feel as though he’ll be as best prepared as can be.”

Mitchell Starc, who leads the bowling charts with 18 wickets in the first two Tests, had battled a left side niggle at the Gabba but would be fit for Adelaide, said McDonald.

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England captain Ben Stokes has demanded his players toughen up after another embarrassing defeat to Australia left the Ashes hanging by a thread, making clear the team is “not a place for weak men”.

Two Tests into the five-match series and England are reeling, crashing by eight wickets in both Perth and Brisbane and waking Monday to yet more fierce criticism.

Facing an almost impossible task to win the last three Tests to regain the Ashes, Stokes wants to see more fire from his players.

“There is a saying that we have said a lot here, Australia is not for weak men,” Stokes told the BBC. “A dressing room that I am captain of is not a place for weak men either.”

Stokes was particularly critical of England’s crumbling under pressure moments, in contrast to Australia, who have been able to dig deep and get the upper hand.

“Do we need to start thinking about what mentality we are taking into those pressure moments?” Stokes said.

“When we are on top, we are great, and when behind the game, we are also very good, but when that moment is neck and neck, we are not coming out on top on enough occasions.”

Australian media had a field day at England’s expense with headlines including “Humiliated”, “Humbled” and “Bazball in Ashes”, referring to the aggressive style favoured by Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum that has failed so far.

Former England great Geoffrey Boycott was scathing in his assessment.

“Brisbane was a horror show: irresponsible batting, bowling too short, too wide or too full and catches dropped,” he said in a newspaper column.

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“With this sort of batting and bowling, they couldn’t win an egg cup, let alone the Ashes urn.”

England have more than a week to regroup before the must-win third Test in Adelaide on December 17, where Australia are set to be strengthened by the return of skipper Pat Cummins.

But a scheduled four-day mini holiday on the beach at tourist playground Noosa after two crushing defeats may not be the best look.

Ben Stokes defended the decision, saying it was important for players to decompress.

“We have been here four weeks, and they have been pretty full on,” he told reporters. “As physical as this game is, a huge part of it is also the mental side of it. I know that. I have experienced that.”

“I know what the game can do to you when things aren’t quite feeling right or going well.

“Trust me when I say it is so, so important for teams to be able to go away as a team and almost put the pressures aside for a couple of days,” he added.

Adding to England’s woes, McCullum has been slammed for suggesting the team “trained too much” in the lead-up to the day-night clash in Brisbane.

Following the Perth defeat, England opted against putting their first-choice players into a pink-ball tour game in Canberra and instead had five intense sessions in the Brisbane nets.

“I actually feel like we over-prepared to be honest,” he said. “I think the boys just need a few days off, and we probably need to change up a few of the training methods.”

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BRISBANE: Australia skipper Steve Smith and England fast bowler Jofra Archer were involved in a heated altercation during the second Ashes Test here at the Gabba on Sunday.

Smith propelled Australia over the line with an unbeaten 23 off just nine balls, which was laced with two sixes and two fours, including two boundaries and a maximum in Archer’s over.

With this, Australia took a 2-0 lead in the Ashes, defeating England by eight wickets in a commanding all-round display.

However, things got heated. Smith took on Archer, who was bowling at 150km/h. The right-hander hit a four off the first off Archer and missed the next ball in a bid to hit an uppercut.

 

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After this, both exchanged words with the pacer, asking Smith why he was playing shots when there was nothing on the scoreboard.

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“Why play your shots when there’s no rush on the scoreboard?” Archer had asked Smith.

The ace batter gave a cheeky reply, “You bowl fast when there’s nothing going on, champion.”

Archer did not bowl another over, as Smith launched Gus Atkinson over deep square leg for six before an animated celebration with Weatherald.

After the match, Smith commented on the spat and explained the reason behind his aggressive approach.

“I heard there’s a bit of a storm coming around. We obviously had a few behind us. It was a chance to just play a few shots,” he said.

“The adrenaline was pumping at the end there. Obviously, we didn’t need too many to win, and Jof was bowling pretty quick.

I had a short boundary behind me, and I thought, ‘Why not just try to get up and under a few, and put a few in the stands?’ Fortunately, it hit the middle of the bat on a couple of occasions,” Smith explained.

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BRISBANE: All-round Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser’s five-wicket haul helped Australia romp to an eight-wicket victory in the second Test to go 2-0 up in the Ashes series against England here at the Gabba on Sunday.

The hosts chased down the paltry target of 65 in just 10 overs, captain Steve Smith pulling Gus Atkinson for a huge six over square leg for the winning runs.

Although not as humiliating as the two-day loss in the first Test in Perth, England were comprehensively outplayed in Brisbane in every department.

Their batting, apart from Joe Root and Zak Crawley in the first innings and captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks in the second, was just as rash as in Perth.

They gave their wickets away with poor strokes on the bouncy Gabba surface.

They also bowled poorly, pitching too short on the Gabba wicket and wasting the new pink ball, in stark contrast to an Australian attack missing spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

To make matters worse, England dropped five catches in the first innings, whereas Australia’s fielders caught everything that came their way.

Josh Inglis’s brilliant run-out of Stokes in the first innings changed the course of the match.

Australia now have a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series and are overwhelming favourites to retain the Ashes with matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to follow.

England were behind the game once they let Australia’s tail help the home side post 511 on Saturday, an overall lead of 177.

They then lost six second-innings wickets under lights to end the third day 134-6, still 43 runs behind the Australian total.

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While many expected England to surrender meekly on Sunday, Stokes and all-rounder Jacks led a fighting rearguard action to ensure Australia had to bat a second time.

Stokes and Jacks defied the Australian pace attack on a fiercely hot day to edge their way past the initial deficit target and begin to set Australia something to chase.

England batting coach Marcus Trescothick said Saturday his batsmen would not change their aggressive approach, despite a clatter of wickets from poor shots.

But Stokes and Jacks did the exact opposite during the first session Sunday.

They left balls they didn’t need to play and seemed happy to take their runs in singles rather than expansive boundary shots.

They scored just 28 runs in the first hour and passed the 43-run deficit 96 minutes into the session, scoring only 59 runs in the two hours.

The Australian bowlers, who ran rampant under lights on Saturday with the pink ball, were far more ineffective on Sunday, despite the wicket beginning to play some tricks.

The English offered only one chance when Scott Boland squared up Stokes, who got a thick edge over the slips cordon.

They continued to frustrate the Australians in the second session until just before the drinks break, Jacks got an edge to Michael Neser and Smith snared a breath-taking catch at slip, diving full length to his left and catching it low to the ground.

Neser struck again in the next over when Stokes nibbled at a ball outside the off-stump and got a fine edge to keeper Alex Carey to leave England 227-8, a lead of exactly 50.

Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer offered no real resistance as Neser recorded career-best figures of 5-42 and Smith equalled Rahul Dravid on 210 outfield catches, three behind current record-holder Root.

Sixty-five was never going to be enough and although Australia lost Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne in the chase, Smith and Jake Weatherald guided the home side to an easy win in style.

READ: Ashes 2025: Pat Cummins provides fitness update for Adelaide Test

Australia captain Pat Cummins has declared himself ready for a long-awaited comeback, confirming on Saturday that he expects to be fit for the third Ashes Test in Adelaide after more than three months on the sidelines.

Cummins, 32, has been out of action since sustaining a lower-back injury during Australia’s series against the West Indies earlier this year.

The setback ruled him out of the Ashes opener in Perth, which Australia wrapped up inside two days, and the ongoing day-night clash at the Gabba.

Speaking to Fox Sports, Cummins provided the clearest indication yet that his return is imminent.

“I’ll have one more bowl tomorrow in the nets, and then we’ll go to Adelaide and have a bowl there. So barring any hiccups, I’ll be good to go,” he said. “The body feels great.”

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In his absence, Steve Smith has taken over leadership duties, while Scott Boland has filled the vacancy in the fast bowling attack.

With Josh Hazlewood also unlikely to be available for Adelaide, Cummins’ return would most likely see either Brendan Doggett or Michael Neser make way.

Pat Cummins revealed that selectors came close to naming him for the Gabba Test but ultimately opted for caution.

“It just felt a bit too acute at the end and didn’t really feel fair on the other bowlers,” he explained. “It didn’t feel like the right Test match to take that risk, so kick it down the road for a week.”

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A relentless Australia took a 44-run lead over England in the day-night second Ashes Test in Brisbane on Friday, with aggressive opener Jake Weatherald and Steve Smith leading the charge.

By stumps, the hosts had not only reeled in England’s first-innings 334 but raced clear, ending a draining day two on 378-6 in front of a big crowd at a humid Gabba.

A decent lead is shaping as crucial, with the pitch likely to deteriorate in the coming days.

Alex Carey, who was dropped first ball and again on 25, was not-out 46 with Michael Neser on 15, but England’s pace cartel made in-roads under lights in the evening session.

Australia were cruising at 291-3 before the expensive Brydon Carse removed Cameron Green (45) and Smith (61) in four deliveries to rekindle hope as England’s short-ball tactics paid off.

The bowlers, though, lacked consistency and were guilty of too many loose deliveries, with Australia plundering 51 boundaries, while four easy catches were put down.

Weatherald, in only his second Test, slammed 12 fours and a six in a punchy knock before being trapped lbw by Jofra Archer with an angled yorker.

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Marnus Labuschagne — Australia’s form batter in recent months with a slew of centuries in domestic cricket — was similarly assured, cracking 65 as the shadows moved over the ground.

But as he looked destined for another ton, England captain Ben Stokes got the crucial breakthrough with a nick to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

Steve Smith, wearing black adhesive anti-glare strips under his eyes to help with the Gabba lights, as is common in American sports, was the big wicket.

Once he got in, the veteran skipper appeared immovable, but Carse tempted him into a hook shot that Will Jacks caught spectacularly at backward square leg.

Travis Head, Australia’s wrecking-ball hero in the first Test win at Perth, fell before tea for 33.

England were dismissed in the second over of the day with Joe Root the last man standing on 138.

They resumed on 325-9 after he guided them from a precarious 5-2 with his maiden century on Australian soil and 40th overall in a gripping day one.

He added nine to the overnight score with partner Archer before the number 11 fell for a career-best 38, caught brilliantly by a diving Labuschagne in the deep to end a valuable 10th-wicket partnership of 70.

Veteran Mitchell Starc took 6-75.

Head smashed an explosive 69-ball century to help Australia stun England by eight wickets in Perth, but was more reserved this time after being retained as opener in place of the injured Usman Khawaja.

It took him 15 balls to get going before a huge escape on three when Smith fluffed a sitter off an edge from Archer.

The scare woke him up, and he let rip in the next over, but his luck ran out when he sent an edge high to Gus Atkinson off Carse, with England breathing a sigh of relief as he walked off.

Weatherald quickly found his rhythm with a series of early boundaries, cutting and driving with ease.

Three of them came in five balls off Atkinson as the outfield ran fast and he brought up an impressive 50 from 45 balls, before Archer worked his magic.

Labuschagne picked up where he left off, reaching a 25th Test half-century, with 10 boundaries in his 65.

It was then down to Smith, who produced a series of high-quality shots to pass 50 for a 44th time and, oozing confidence, looked set for a big score before Carse again pounced, then Stokes removed Josh Inglis (23).

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BRISBANE: England ace batter Joe Root surpassed former Pakistan batter Asad Shafiq’s record of the highest individual score against Australia in a pink-ball Test.

Shafiq, who retired in 2023, hit 137 during Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 2016 in a day/night Test.

Notably, Faf du Plessis, who is set to feature in the forthcoming PSL 11, also scored 118* in Adelaide back in 2016.

However, earlier today, Root shattered the long-standing record with an unbeaten 138 during day two of the second Ashes Test, playing a major role in bringing England’s total to 334.

Highest individual score vs Australia in Day/Night Tests

• 138* – Joe Root, Gabba 2025  
• 137 – Asad Shafiq, Gabba 2016
• 118* – Faf du Plessis, Adelaide 2016
• 113 – Yasir Shah, Adelaide 2019
• 104 – Stephen Cook, Adelaide 2016

For the unversed, Joe Root ended his long wait for a Test century on Australian soil with a fighting hundred on day one of the second Ashes Test at The Gabba on Thursday.

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Coming into the contest under heavy scrutiny after twin failures in Perth, where England were bundled out inside two days, the former captain delivered a statement knock under pressure.

He walked in with his side in early trouble at 5-2 after a hostile opening burst from Mitchell Starc and immediately shifted the momentum with a composed, authoritative display.

Root rebuilt the innings with a crucial 117-run stand alongside opener Zak Crawley, who contributed 76, before continuing the fight almost single-handedly as wickets fell regularly at the other end.

The milestone moment arrived when Joe Root drove Scott Boland to the rope to bring up his 40th Test century, his first in Australia.

With that effort, the right-hander became only the fourth batter in history to reach the 40-century mark, joining an elite club featuring Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar.

He has now scored Test centuries in eight of the ten countries he has played in.

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Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday as he expressed gratitude to England’s Joe Root, who finally ended his century jinx in Australia during the second Ashes Test at the Gabba.

Earlier in the day, England’s premier batter Joe Root finally ended his long wait for a Test century on Australian soil with a fighting hundred on day one of the second Ashes Test at The Gabba.

Coming into the contest under heavy scrutiny after twin failures in Perth, where England were bundled out inside two days, the former captain delivered a statement knock under pressure.

The 34-year-old remained unbeaten at the end of the day’s play with 135 runs scored from 202 balls.

Joe Root, who is also the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, had failed to hit a century on his previous Ashes tours.

 

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The ace batter had 892 runs to his name at an average of 35.68 with the help of 10 fifties and no centuries in 29 innings played.

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For this reason, before the commencement of the Ashes 2025, former Australian cricketers have made bold statements, including Hayden, who had made the most audacious claim.

“I will walk n*de around the MCG if he doesn’t make a hundred this summer,” said Hayden during the All Over Bar The Cricket YouTube podcast.

After Root’s century, Hayden issued a video statement praising the batter, and took a sigh of relief.

“Good day, Joe. Congratulations, mate, on the hundred here in Australia. Took you a while, and there was no one that had more skin in the game than me, literally,” said Hayden.

“I was backing you in for the hundred in a good way. So mate, congratulations 10, fifties and finally a 100. You little ripper, mate. Have a beauty and bloody enjoy it,” he added.

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