Tag: Ashes 2025

Injured pace spearheads Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins bowled in the nets on Tuesday in a major boost for Australia ahead of the day-night second Ashes Test against England next week.

Hazlewood had not been seen since tweaking his hamstring in a Sheffield Shield clash six days before the opening Test in Perth.

He missed that extraordinary game, which Australia won inside two days by eight wickets on Saturday, with Brendan Doggett taking his place.

Skipper Cummins was also absent with a lingering lower back injury, replaced by Scott Boland.

Local media posted pictures of both men training at Cricket NSW headquarters in Sydney during New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania.

The choice of balls they used was telling, with Cummins steaming in with a pink ball and Hazlewood more reserved with a red one.

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While Hazlewood remains a major doubt for the Brisbane Test on December 4, Cummins said over the weekend he was “half a chance” after an impressive stint in the nets in Perth.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald told reporters no decisions would be made until closer to match day.

“I know that he’ll be available at some point during the series,” McDonald said of Hazlewood.

“We’ve got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”

He was more upbeat about Cummins.

“There’s a lot of positives, but now it’s just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much,” he said.

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PERTH: Makeshift opener Travis Head smacked an explosive 69-ball century to power Australia to victory in a high-octane first Ashes Test on Saturday as England meekly surrendered in the Perth Stadium cauldron.

Chasing 205 to win, Head slammed 123 as the hosts romped home on day two by eight wickets in an electric start to the five-match series. Marnus Labuschagne was not out 51, and Steve Smith was on two.

Head’s heroics came on the back of a blistering spell from marauding pace pair Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc after lunch that sparked a stunning England collapse.

The tourists were cruising at 65-1 and building an ominous second-innings lead, but Boland and Starc left them reeling with four wickets in as many overs.

A ruthless Boland accounted for Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33) and Harry Brook (0) in the space of 11 balls, then two deliveries later, Starc sent Joe Root packing for eight.

When Starc removed skipper Ben Stokes (2), England were flailing at 88-6 and the veteran paceman had bagged a 10-wicket haul for only the third time after his first innings 7-58, a career-best.

England were partially rescued by a crucial 50-run stand between Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20) before being rolled for 164 at tea.

When they returned, Usman Khawaja again failed to show as an opener as he battled back stiffness, with Australia signalling their intent by sending in Head.

Head, who has opened nine times previously in Test cricket, quickly got into his destructive rhythm, crunching some lovely boundaries, including big sixes off Carse and Mark Wood.

He made it look easy, making a mockery of the struggles other batsmen had on the bouncy track, bringing up his half-century in 36 balls, passing 4,000 Test runs in the process.

Looking to emulate him, debutant Jake Weatherald also went on the attack, but it cost him, out for 23 after a mistimed pull shot was taken by Ben Duckett off Carse.

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An unruffled Head kept the pressure on, slamming four boundaries in one Stokes over and sending a six back over the head of Jofra Archer on his way to a 10th Test ton.

He eventually fell to Carse, going for another big hit.

Australia resumed on a paltry 123-9 in their first innings and added just nine before Nathan Lyon was removed by Carse for four to leave England with a 40-run advantage.

Stokes was the star of the show, claiming 5-23 off just 36 balls to give England a golden opportunity to win a Test in Australia for the first time since the 2010-11 series.

They had all been out for 172 at the hands of Starc on day one.

Australia were banking on the 35-year-old to emulate his exploits in the second innings, and he whipped the sold-out Perth Stadium crowd into a frenzy when he removed Zak Crawley in his first over.

The veteran consigned Crawley to a pair, diving to his left in an incredible feat of athleticism for a memorable caught-and-bowled.

Duckett and Pope settled in, safely reaching lunch at 59-1. But Scott Boland began to find his radar when they returned.

Duckett edged to Steve Smith in the slips, then Pope did the same to wicketkeeper Alex Carey before Brook repeated the feat to Khawaja.

After a first innings duck, Joe Root was desperate for runs, but he was no match for the relentless Starc, dragging a thick edge onto his stumps to cap a miserable start to the series.

Brendan Doggett then cleaned up Jamie Smith (15), Carse and Archer (5).

READ: Travis Head smashes second-fastest century in Ashes history

PERTH: Travis Head delivered a record-smashing performance on Saturday, firing a rapid 69-ball century to put Australia on the brink of a thrilling first Ashes Test win against England at Optus Stadium.

Tasked with opening alongside debutant Jake Weatherald due to Usman Khawaja struggling with an injury, Head seized control on a challenging pitch, turning the chase of 205 into a one-sided affair.

Head’s explosive innings featured 12 fours and four sixes, bringing up his century with a single when Australia was at 146.

The knock marked the second-fastest century in Ashes history, surpassing Gilbert Jessop’s 76-ball effort for England back in 1902, and also eclipsed Head’s previous fastest Test ton of 85 balls.

Fastest Hundreds (by balls taken) in Ashes Tests

• 59 – Adam Gilchrist (AUS), Perth 2006
• 69 – Travis Head (AUS), Perth Today
• 78 – Gilbert Jessop (ENG), The Oval 1902
• 85 – Joe Darling (AUS), Sydney 1898
• 85 – Travis Head (AUS), Brisbane 2021

It ranks as the joint-third fastest century by an Australian in Tests, tying David Warner’s 69-ball effort against India in Perth in 2012. Only Adam Gilchrist’s 57-ball hundred in 2006 and Jack Gregory’s 67-ball century in 1921 remain quicker.

Fastest Hundreds for Australia (by balls taken) in Tests:

• 59 – Adam Gilchrist v ENG, Perth 2006
• 67 – Jack Gregory v SA, Johannesburg 1921
• 69 – David Warner v IND, Perth 2012
• 69 – Travis Head v ENG, Perth Today
• 78 – David Warner v PAK, Sydney 2017

Head, however, fell prey to Brydon Carse when Australia needed 13 more runs to win the game. He went back to the pavillion after scoring 123 runs from 83 balls, laced with 16 fours and four sixes.

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Earlier, Australia’s pace duo of Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc ripped through England’s top order, setting the stage for Head’s heroics.

England, cruising at 65-1 in their second innings, collapsed to 88-6 after lunch, with Boland taking out Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook in a devastating spell of 11 balls.

Starc struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Joe Root and Ben Stokes, completing his 10-wicket haul for only the third time in his career, following his first-innings 7-58.

A brief 50-run stand between Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20) offered some resistance before England were bowled out for 164 on the cusp of tea.

Boland finished with 4-33 while Starc claimed 3-55, leaving Australia well-positioned to chase down the target.

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PERTH: Australia pacer Mitchell Starc marked his name among Ashes greats on a dramatic opening day at Optus Stadium, producing a blistering spell that dismantled England and carried him to a major personal milestone.

The left-arm quick ransacked the visitors with a sensational 7-for, helping bowl England out for 172 in the second session on Friday.

Starc’s haul not only turned the momentum sharply in Australia’s favour but also etched him into Ashes history. With his 100th wicket in the storied rivalry, he became just the 21st bowler, and the 13th Australian, to reach the landmark.

He joins Nathan Lyon as the only active players in either squad with 100-plus Ashes wickets; Lyon currently sits at 110. Starc reached the feat in 23 Tests.

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England’s innings offered flickers of resistance through Harry Brook’s brisk 52 and Ollie Pope’s 46 before they folded after Lunch.

However, the script flipped just as dramatically in the final session.

In a day that turned into a pace-bowling spectacle, Ben Stokes led a fierce English response with a commanding 5-23, dragging his side back into the contest and stunning the Australian top order.

By stumps, Australia were reeling at 123-9, still 49 runs behind, as 19 wickets fell in a single day of gripping, high-octane cricket.

READ: Stokes sparks England comeback on 19-wicket opening day of Ashes

PERTH: Nineteen wickets fell on an opening day of carnage in the first Ashes Test here on Friday, with England’s attack led by skipper Ben Stokes bowling them into a position of strength after Australia dismissed the tourists for 172.

A rampaging Mitchell Starc took 7-58 to put England on the back foot after Stokes won the toss on a fine day at a packed Perth Stadium and chose to bat.

Harry Brook (52) and Ollie Pope (46) offered the only resistance as they crumbled after lunch.

But England’s elite fast bowlers, led by an exceptional Stokes with 5-23, fought back to reduce the hosts to 123-9 at stumps, trailing by 49.

Nathan Lyon was on three with Brendan Doggett yet to score.

There was early drama in Australia’s reply when Usman Khawaja failed to open with Marnus Labuschagne, instead walking out with debutant Jake Weatherald.

In a brutal introduction to Test cricket, Weatherald went for a second-ball duck, left on the floor by a Jofra Archer bullet and given out lbw.

Labuschagne fended off 41 balls for nine before he too succumbed to the sheer speed of Archer, bowled by a fuller delivery.

And when Steve Smith fell for 17 to Brydon Carse in the next over, caught by Brook at slip, it was game on.

Khawaja, who was feeling stiff, came in at four but lasted just six balls, blown away by a Carse bouncer that took a nick to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, leaving Australia reeling at 31-4.

Cameron Green (24), Travis Head (21), Alex Carey (26) and Starc (12) all got starts, but in a reflection of the depth of England’s pace stocks, Stokes removed them when he brought himself on.

Starc bagged three wickets in an intimidating opening spell, including Joe Root for a duck, before returning to send Stokes packing in his first over after the lunch break, then mopping up.

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All five previous Tests at the Perth venue have been won by the side batting first, but England did their best to challenge that, getting off to a horror start.

Veteran strike weapon Starc delivered as he has so many times before, enticing a thick edge from Zak Crawley on his sixth ball that Khawaja did well to collect low at slip, the opener gone for nought.

Starc has now taken a wicket in the first over of an innings 24 times.

At the other end, Ben Duckett settled his nerves with a textbook drive off Scott Boland to bank the first four of the series.

But just as he was getting going, Starc pounced again, trapping him lbw for 21 to leave England tottering on 33-2.

That brought Root to the crease in his latest campaign for an elusive first century in Australia.

He only lasted seven balls, edging a seaming delivery into the safe hands of Labuschagne at third slip.

Pope survived the furnace and was composed before Green came on, and he was out lbw, leaving the visitors on 105-4 at lunch.

Brook hit Scott Boland for a six in the first over after the break before Starc again worked his magic, taking out Stokes’s stumps with an inswinger when the captain was on six.

A fearless Brook raced to his 14th Test half-century before feathering a short ball to Carey, earning Doggett his maiden Test wicket on debut.

Starc then removed Gus Atkinson cheaply to give him the 17th five-wicket haul of his career, and with Doggett, they ruthlessly cleaned up the tail.

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Australia’s stand-in skipper Steve Smith has taken a sharp dig at former England spinner Monty Panesar over his recent remarks relating to the Sandpapergate scandal.

Smith will be leading his side in the first Ashes Test after regular captain Pat Cummins was ruled out due to an injury.

The first Ashes Test between England and Australia will start tomorrow at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Panesar, earlier this month, had advised the England team and the UK media to target Smity by revisiting the ‘Sandpaper Gate’ scandal — when Australia were caught tampering with the ball using some sandpaper under Steve Smith’s leadership.

“If it were the opposite, the Australian media would be all over it,” Panesar said. “They would have said, if it was any of the English players, ‘the cheaters have arrived.’ Right?”

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Smith has now responded, recalling Panesar’s viral appearance on a quiz show ‘Celebrity Mastermind, during which the ex-spinner famously fumbled simple general-knowledge questions.

“Who in the room has seen Mastermind, and Monty Panesar on that? Any of you?” Smith asked reporters in a pre-Ashes presser.

“Those of you that have will understand where I’m coming from. If you haven’t, do yourself a favour because it is pretty comical. Anyone that believes that Athens is in Germany, that’s a start, or that Oliver Twist is a season of the year and America is a city,” he said in a light-hearted manner.

Smith stressed that Panesar’s remarks did not affect him, stating that he is feeling far more relaxed these days.

“It doesn’t really bother me, those comments. That’s as far as I’ll go with that one,” he said, subsequently adding that he was “pretty chilled” on his return to the captaincy. “I’m a lot more relaxed these days,” Smith concluded.

READ: Australia’s Jake Weatherald, Brendan Doggett to debut in first Ashes Test

Australia will field two debutants in an Ashes Test for the first time in nearly six years, with top-order batter Jake Weatherald and right-arm pacer Brendan Doggett set to receive their Baggy Green caps in the opening Test against England at Perth Stadium on November 21.

Stand-in captain Steve Smith, leading the side with Pat Cummins sidelined through injury, confirmed the selections and described the moment as “really exciting”, backing both players to make an immediate impact in one of cricket’s fiercest contests.

The last time Australia handed out two Test debuts in the same match was back in early 2019, when Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson were blooded at the Gabba.

Weatherald’s call-up brings a significant shift at the top of the order. With David Warner retired and Australia still searching for long-term stability, the 31-year-old becomes Usman Khawaja’s sixth opening partner in less than two years.

His inclusion also allows Marnus Labuschagne to return to his preferred No. 3 slot, an important reshuffle considering Labuschagne’s resurgence this domestic season, where he struck five centuries in eight innings for Queensland after being dropped mid-year.

Cameron Green retains the all-rounder’s role, edging out Beau Webster, and will slot in at No. 6 behind a core middle order of Smith and Travis Head.

Smith praised Weatherald’s temperament, revealing he had deliberately watched him train in challenging conditions.

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“The nets were quick, bouncy, a lot of seam,” Smith said. “He just kept wanting more. He’s got courage, he’s worked hard, and I think he’ll complement Uzzie really well.”

Doggett, meanwhile, steps in after Josh Hazlewood was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

With Cummins also unavailable as he builds back to full fitness, Australia will lean on Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, and Doggett to drive the pace attack.

Smith believes Doggett, long considered on the fringes after several tours without a debut, has earned his moment.

“Injuries happen, particularly with quicks,” Smith said. “But it opens doors. Brendan has improved massively over the last few years; he’s skilful, and I’m excited to see him go about his business.”

England, who drew the 2023 Ashes 2-2 at home but haven’t won a Test series in Australia since 2010–11, have named a 12-man squad and will finalise their playing XI at the toss.

Australia’s XI for the first Test: Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (capt), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.

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PERTH: The England team management on Wednesday named a 12-member squad for the first Test of the Ashes against Australia, scheduled to be played here from 21 November.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was named in the squad alongside four frontline pace bowlers, keeping their options open for the first Ashes Test.

There was no room for speedster Josh Tongue, with Brydon Carse preferred, while Ollie Pope kept his place at number three ahead of Jacob Bethell.

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Veteran pace ace Mark Wood unleashed a fiery spell in the nets on Tuesday after an injury scare last week to prove his fitness. But selectors are likely waiting until the last minute to make a call on whether he plays.

If England opt for an all-out pace attack on what is expected to be a lively wicket, he will line up alongside Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Carse, all of whom are capable of reaching 90mph.

Not since a bowling line-up led by John Snow and Bob Willis helped England to a 1970-71 series win have they had such an array of genuine quicks in Australia.

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

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Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath has been removed from the commentary panel for the much-anticipated Ashes series, just days ahead of the first Test in Perth.

Former cricketer Tom Moody has been confirmed as his replacement, according to reports from The Age.

The unexpected change is linked to McGrath’s commercial association with bet365, featuring him alongside fellow cricket great Ricky Ponting in a promotional campaign.

The 55-year-old, a familiar voice on ABC cricket broadcasts in recent years, had informed ABC about the partnership roughly a month before the series.

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An ABC spokesperson confirmed the split in a brief statement: “The ABC and Glenn McGrath have mutually parted ways for this Ashes series. We look forward to seeing Glenn around the grounds throughout the series and would welcome working with him in the future.”

While McGrath’s team declined to comment further, the broadcaster reassured fans that their commentary lineup remains strong, led by Jim Maxwell and Corbin Middlemas, and supplemented by former players Darren Lehmann, Jason Gillespie, and Stuart Clark.

The Ashes series, which also forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27, will kick off at Perth Stadium from 21–25 November, before moving to Gabba, Adelaide Oval, MCG, and SCG for the remaining Tests through early January.

READ: Ricky Ponting names his Australia Playing XI for Ashes opener

Former Australia captain and ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting has revealed his ideal playing XI for the opening Ashes Test against England, offering a glimpse of how he would navigate a team riddled with injuries.

Speaking on The ICC Review with Sanjana Ganesan, Ponting backed Jake Weatherald for a Test debut at the top of the order and suggested Brendan Doggett as a key reinforcement to Australia’s depleted pace attack.

The visitors face a major blow with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins ruled out of the Perth Test, while back-up pacer Sean Abbott is also unavailable.

Ponting’s XI reflects a reshuffled bowling unit and fresh batting options to mitigate the impact of these absences.

Ponting’s proposed lineup features Jake Weatherald and Usman Khawaja as openers, Marnus Labuschagne at three, Steve Smith at four, Travis Head at five, Cameron Green at six, Alex Carey at seven, followed by Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Brendan Doggett, and Nathan Lyon.

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He praised Weatherald’s recent domestic form, stating: “He’s done absolutely everything asked of him over the last month, scoring runs consistently and making a strong case for that No.3 spot.”

Ponting also highlighted Cameron Green’s all-round capabilities, noting that under normal circumstances, he could comfortably bowl eight to twelve overs per innings.

The former captain acknowledged the shifting selection landscape caused by Hazlewood’s hamstring injury, saying: “If you had asked me a week ago, my views might have been different. Now, with Doggett and Neser added, options have expanded.”

He also suggested Beau Webster could be considered to bolster all-around depth after an impressive Sheffield Shield showing for Tasmania.

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