England have resisted calls to send senior players for a pink-ball practice match before the second Ashes Test, passing up the opportunity to spend more time in the middle.
A sloppy two-day defeat in the series opener in Perth left an 11-day gap in the tourists’ schedule ahead of the day/night Test in Brisbane and opened up the possibility of using next weekend’s England Lions match in Canberra against a Prime Minister’s XI as competitive preparation for the first team.
Advertisement
However, the decision was made to keep the first choice team together in South Australia, with squad players Josh Tongue, Jacob Bethell and Matthew Potts the only ones to make the trip to Manuka Oval.
Extra net sessions at the Gabba are on the agenda but their choice is sure to be criticized by those who feel England’s preparations for the tour have not been strong enough.
Skip to:
When are the Ashes? Dates and time
When will the next Ashes Test take place?
From December 4 to 8, in Brisbane.
Advertisement
Test match start times
How to watch on TV and stream
TNT Sports provides exclusive live coverage in the UK and its broadcast teams are split between these shores and Australia. A sports-only subscription will cost you £30.99 per month. You can watch TNT Sports channels on EE TV, Sky and Virgin Media.
The first day of TV production proved disappointingly that TNT had spared no expense, says Alan Tyers.
Cricket Australia has sold the UK radio rights for Tests and Big Bash from 2023 to 2027 to BBC Sport, which covers the series with ball-by-ball commentary on Test Match Special.
Advertisement
Latest team news
Australia
Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, is expected to return for the second Test match, although Josh Hazlewood’s return is unlikely. Usman Khawaja’s back problems prevented him from opening the match in either set, although the full status of his injury remains to be confirmed.
Australian Ashes team (first test)
England Ashes team
Who comments on television coverage?
TNT Sports’ lead commentators are Alastair Eykyn, best known as a key part of the channel’s rugby coverage, and Rob Hatch, an award-winning cycling commentator.
Advertisement
The two men call games “off the tube” all night from a studio in London. Former England player Ebony Rainford-Brent is also commenting in the UK.
In Australia, Becky Ives, who works for TNT on football and boxing, leads the team on the field where she is joined by former Ashes winners Sir Alastair Cook, Graeme Swann and Steven Finn.
Becky Ives and Sir Alastair Cook to feature in TNT Sports’ Ashes coverage this winter – TNT Sports
Where are the test matches played?
England’s 2025-26 tour of Australia has kicked off at a new Ashes venue, the state-of-the-art Optus Stadium in Perth.
Advertisement
As revealed Telegraph sport Last July, England were spared an opening match at the Gabba in Brisbane, where they have not won a Test since November 1986 and have so often suffered dreadful starts in the Ashes.
Instead, the series began at the 61,000-capacity Perth Stadium, which is hosting its first Ashes Test, having replaced the Waca Ground as Western Australia’s largest venue.
Perth’s new Optus Stadium to be new Ashes venue – Getty Images/Antony Dickson
Were there any tour matches?
England’s preparation for the Ashes has attracted criticism, notably from former captain and coach Graham Gooch in an interview with Telegraph sport.
Advertisement
Before the series, England beat New Zealand 1-0 in the three-match Twenty20 international series after two of the white-ball encounters were called off. However, Brendon McCullum’s side lost all three of their one-day international matches against the Black Caps.
Their only red-ball cricket before the first ball was bowled in Perth came in the form of an intra-squad practice match.
What are the chances?
Odds of winning the series (after the first test):
Former Ashes winners
The first Ashes series was played in 1882-83. Since then there have been 73 series, with Australia winning 34 and England 32. Seven series have ended in a draw.
Advertisement
Australia have had the upper hand of late, with England not having won a series since the summer of 2015 at home.
England have only won two away series since 1980, with those victories coming in 1986-87 and 2010-11. These teams have achieved greatness, such is the difficulty of winning in Australia.
If this series ended in a draw, Australia would retain the urn.
