Tag: australia

BRISBANE: England captain Ben Stokes said on Saturday that lessons had been learned from their crushing first Ashes Test defeat to Australia in Perth, but that the team had moved on.

Australia took a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series with a stunning eight-wicket win in a frenetic two-day clash in Perth characterised by batting collapses and Travis Head’s match-winning 123.

In the aftermath, England was slammed as “brainless” and even “arrogant” by former greats for their meek performance after putting themselves in a strong position to win.

“We’ve talked about it, and we’ve moved on,” Stokes said in Brisbane ahead of the second day-night Test starting on Thursday. “We had some good conversations around the group.”

“Look, Travis played an amazing knock, there’s no hiding away from that,” he said. “But that’s not the overriding contribution as to why we didn’t end up getting the result.”

Ben Stokes noted there were “amazing things throughout that Test match.”

“The way that we bowled in the first innings … and we ended up putting a score on the board that we believed was definitely defendable,” he said.

“But we all know there were moments in that game where we could have been a lot better to help us gain even more of an advantage that we did have.

“We know that, and we understand that. And the important thing that you need to do from that as a team and as individuals is learning from that.”

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England face a daunting task at the Gabba in Brisbane to level the series with Australia, masters of pink-ball Tests, winning 13 out of 14 matches under lights.

Despite England having a much more mixed record, management opted against any of their main players being part of a two-day day-night clash against a Prime Minister’s XI this weekend in Canberra.

The decision was slammed as “amateurish” by former Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan, who added that he was “staggered” that they would turn down the opportunity.

Stokes said he understood the blowback, but defended the move with England instead scheduling extra training sessions in Brisbane.

“That’s where it is, it’s in Canberra, which is a different state,” he said.

“The (weather) conditions are obviously going to be completely different to what we’ve got coming up.

“So what you try and do is you try and take all the factors into consideration, the pros, the cons, whatever it may be, and then you always discuss that and decide what it is that we think is going to be our best preparation.

“We know that we are doing everything that we can to make sure that we are best prepared for this game,” he added.

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ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, held a virtual meeting with Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, on Friday.

During the interaction, both sides reviewed a range of issues linked to bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on ensuring a secure environment for the visiting Australian team.

They also discussed security arrangements for Australia’s upcoming cricket tour of Pakistan in 2026.

Naqvi briefed his counterpart on the measures being planned for the tour and also extended an invitation for Burke to visit Pakistan, as both officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties between the two countries.

Australia are scheduled to tour Pakistan for a white-ball series in two phases next year.

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The first phase of the tour will feature a three-match T20I series from January 30 to February 5, being played just ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

Following the global event, Australia are pencilled in to return to Pakistan for a three-match ODI series in March under the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) 2025–27.

However, sources indicate that the ODI leg could be postponed, with the PCB and Cricket Australia (CA) reportedly in discussions to revise the schedule.

The white-ball fixtures, initially listed for March 13–19, are now likely to be shifted to a later window after the conclusion of PSL season 11, should both boards reach an agreement.

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BRISBANE: Skipper Pat Cummins was left out of an unchanged Australia squad named on Friday for the day-night second Ashes Test against England, set to commence on 4 December.

The Australian skipper continues his battle against injury; meanwhile, under-pressure opener Usman Khawaja managed to keep his place in the line-up for the pink-ball Test.

Star paceman Josh Hazlewood was also absent, as expected, as he continues his recovery from a hamstring problem.

Cummins has not played since picking up a lower back injury against the West Indies four months ago.

He missed the rapid-fire opening Test in Perth that Australia won by eight wickets inside two days, but has been at full pace in the nets in recent weeks and said last weekend he was “half a chance” to play in Brisbane.

But selectors are clearly taking no chances with the 32-year-old, who will now be targeting the third Test in Adelaide on December 17.

It means Steve Smith will remain captain while Brendan Doggett is set to once more lead the attack with Perth 10-wicket hero Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, on what is expected to be another fast track.

The Gabba Test gets underway on December 4 with Australia looking to ram home their advantage and take a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series.

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Despite missing out, Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations, Cricket Australia said.

Khawaja made the squad amid mounting calls for the veteran to be dumped.

The 38-year-old, who has not made a Test hundred on home soil since January 2023, failed to open in either innings in Perth because of back spasms.

He was replaced at the top alongside Jake Weatherald initially by Marnus Labuschagne, and then by Travis Head in the second innings.

Head, who usually comes in at five but opens in white-ball cricket, seized the opportunity with all guns blazing, slamming an incredible 123 from just 83 balls to drive Australia to victory.

Whether Khawaja keeps his spot in the XI remains to be seen, with Australia not expected to finalise their starting side until the eve of the clash.

Should selectors stick with Head and axe Khawaja, it could open the door to in-form allrounder Beau Webster and a handy extra bowling option.

Australia squad for second Ashes Test

Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

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Australia’s dynamic batter Travis Head has admitted that his 69-ball century in the first Ashes Test provoked England’s fiery fast bowlers.

Head, the makeshift opener, made a mockery of England’s attack in the first Test with a whirlwind century that not only helped his side chase down a 205-run target but also flattened the Three Lions’ attack on a pitch that had very little for batters.

The southpaw made 123 from just 83 balls at Optus Stadium, Perth, striking four sixes and 16 fours.

Speaking during a radio program, Head revealed insights into his knock and said how his assault on the quicks, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, unraveled.

“I’m also very realistic as well that they had two blokes bowling 150 clicks,” Head told Triple M in Adelaide.

“I accidentally hit Jofra [Archer] back over his head for six at one point and calmly walked back and marked centre and was like, ‘Oh my god, why did I just do that?’ he revealed.

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He further talked about his chat with batting partner Marnus Labuschagne, who also hit a half-century in pursuit of the target.

“And Marnus came down and was like, ‘I know you’re trying to act cool, but that’s unbelievable’ and he’s yelling and screaming, and he’s hoo hah-ing, and I’m like, ‘Mate, get back to the other end, at any moment they can put a hole through me, they bowl 150 clicks’,” Head explained.

The 31-year-old acknowledged the fact that his early charge on fast bowlers could entice them for the rest of the series.

“I don’t want to get on the bad side of them, especially [in] the first Test. I don’t want to get on the wrong side of these blokes, I just want to go about my business,” Head said.

The second Ashes Test will be played under lights at the Gabba from 4 December.

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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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The forthcoming ODI series between Pakistan and Australia, scheduled to commence in March 2026, may be postponed, according to local media reports.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket Australia (CA) are reportedly in discussions to revise the itinerary, with the white-ball matches now likely to take place after the conclusion of PSL Season 11, rather than in March as initially planned.

The series had been listed on the Future Tours Programme for 13–19 March, but reports suggest a shift is under consideration.

Meanwhile, Australia is still confirmed to tour Pakistan earlier in the year for a three-match T20I series, scheduled from 30 January to 5 February, ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

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In a press conference held online on 3 June, Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg expressed confidence about the tour’s future, emphasising the importance of Pakistan in Australia’s cricket calendar.

“I believe it will be another good tour of Pakistan. The series against Pakistan is an important part of our schedule. There has been good communication between Pakistan and Australia regarding both red-ball and white-ball series,” Greenberg said.

He continued, underscoring the value of bilateral cricket in Pakistan:

“We need to look for more opportunities for series, which we will definitely do. We would like to play a series in Pakistan.

In 2022, we toured Pakistan after a long gap, and the tour was very successful. The Australian team received a warm welcome. It would be great if such series continue to happen.”

For the unversed, the last time Pakistan toured Australia was in November 2024, when the two sides clashed in a white-ball series.

Under Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership, Pakistan secured a landmark 2–1 ODI series win, their first in Australia since 2002. However, Australia struck back in the subsequent T20I leg, winning 3–0.

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Captain Ben Stokes admitted Saturday he was “shell-shocked” at a crushing loss to Australia in the first Ashes Test but told his England team they must move on fast for the next clash in Brisbane.

The tourists had a golden opportunity to win a Test in Australia for the first time in 15 years, but they blew it inside two days at Perth Stadium.

After crumbling under a bowling onslaught from Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, their hyped pace attack had no answer to a rampant Travis Head, who thrashed an incredible 123 to seal victory by eight wickets.

“Little bit shell-shocked, it was pretty phenomenal from Head,” Stokes said. “It’s pretty raw, pretty emotional, but that was some knock.

“We tried three or four different plans to get him, but when he’s going like a train he’s very hard to stop.”

Despite the demoralising loss Stokes saw some positives, particularly their first-innings bowling effort which saw Australia dismissed for 132.

“The way in which we bowled yesterday was phenomenal. A lot happened on day one, a good day for the bowlers,” he said.

“It’s a tough one as we felt we were in control. We’ll let this sink in, but we’ve got four more games.

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“It’s a long time before Brisbane, we’ll go away and put in the graft.”

The day-night Brisbane Test starts on December 4.

With so many players in the squad experiencing their first Ashes, Stokes admitted he had his hands full trying to lift them.

“Yeah, I think we’ve got to let that whole two hours sort of sink in first and reflect on it properly, without the emotion that’s attached to what’s just gone on there,” he said, referring to Head’s knock.

“Obviously there’s disappointment when you come off the field being on the losing side.

“So that’s up to myself. It’s up to some of the other senior guys who have a lot of experience in big series like these, because you’ve got to let emotions like this sink in, and it has got to hurt.

“But also, you’ve then got to get rid of them as quickly as you possibly can, while also learning from it.

“Because when we get to Brisban,e we need to be back up to that mindset of how we came into this game, still very confident of our abilities and achieving the goal.

“It’s crucial about not taking any baggage from this result into Brisbane.”

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

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: 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 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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