Winning the Ashes on Australian soil is extremely rare for England. Ben Stokes’s side have a golden opportunity to lift the urn come January and must not waste it.
They have the tools to win in Australia. Good batting, proper pace and great leadership. In Stokes, they have the best player on either side, when he is fit and firing. If he is, their chances of winning rise again.
Australia are a mighty side but are ageing and in Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood they are missing two absolute champions in Perth. They will likely have two debutants in the first Test which is unusual in a contest of this magnitude, and presents opportunities to England. The one area you would say England are out-gunned is in the spin-bowling department but based on recent Australian summers I do not see spin being a decisive factor too often in this series.
There has been so much anticipation and expectation for this series. I am so excited to be on the threshold of it. In a funny kind of way, the news about Cummins and Hazlewood raises the pressure on England a bit. Australia losing two bowlers that good makes you think they should win, rather than could win. Underestimate this Australia side at your peril, because they have generally got the job done at home in recent years, whoever is playing. Nevertheless, England have an amazing chance. It is a glaring opportunity to win a Test on Australian soil for the first time in any of these players’ careers.
I think they have to win the first Test in Perth to win the series. They are good at bouncing back, but it would already be a long way back. How do they win? Well, first is to do the basics really well. The basics generally rule the roost in Australia, where you earn the right to be flamboyant. Catching is so important Down Under, with the cordon often deciding matches.
If I was in the England camp I would be keeping it very simple, breaking it right down. Forget about England’s awful history, recent or otherwise in Australia. And forget about what’s to come for the rest of the series. Nail that first hour, whether you are batting or bowling. Win the hour, be that 15 without loss or taking two early wickets. Get a foothold in the contest and go from there. On such a big occasion that is a good way to ground players, breaking the game down into short chunks. England have the All Blacks’ psychologist, Gilbert Enoka, with them, and I’m sure this is something the management have thought hard about. Just remember: you cannot win the game in the first hour. You cannot even score a hundred in the first hour. But you can lay some foundations.
I would get after the debutants if I were England. There’s one opening the batting, Jake Weatherald, and one likely to open the bowling, Brendan Doggett. Both are experienced first-class cricketers but what you’ve done at state or county level counts for absolutely nothing until you’ve played international cricket. Lots of good players have failed to make that step up. You never know until you get there and both men will have their moments of doubt on the day.
Put them under pressure from ball one. Don’t give them an inch. Do not allow Weatherald especially to get off to a flyer with the bat, because he will believe instantly that he belongs. Start tight and tie him down to sow doubt. With Doggett, just don’t give him a confidence-boosting easy wicket.
For England, Zak Crawley is a really important player. He had a fine Ashes in 2023, and looked to have the game for Australia four years ago. Last summer, he played the situation against the great Jasprit Bumrah. But when Bumrah wasn’t there he was loose, switching off a bit and thinking he could hit every ball. He was all over the shop. Do not make the same mistakes now Cummins and Hazlewood are out of the side. He has it in him to play brilliantly early, lay a marker down. He also has it in him to get out really badly early and set a terrible tone.
Being blown away on day one would be a nightmare for England. They need to use their brains, which they should not confuse with playing negatively. Remember that even though the Kookaburra ball does more now, it will still be easier to bat between overs 25 and 80. England could cause absolute chaos between overs 25 and 80 overs, but that’s not possible if they have already shot themselves in the foot.
Looseness from Crawley could also expose Joe Root early. The last tour, when Root was captain, was a nightmare for him, and he was carrying a heavy burden almost two years into the Covid era when England played so much and were heavily locked down. This is a different Joe Root, and if he plays his way, he will be fine. The extra bounce outside off stump is where Australia will challenge him, but there’s not been an obstacle that has come Root’s way that he hasn’t been able to solve. He is a great problem solver. I think this problem to solve is purely mental.
It is so exciting to see so much pace in the England attack, which is what every captain craves. It makes a huge difference in Australia. More important, though, is where the pacemen land it. Do not bowl too short in Australia. Use your bouncer wisely. England like to go to the bouncer early and create theatre with funky fields. But I saw Bumrah bowl at Perth a year ago and others over the years. You need to bring the batsman forward. Challenging the front press is important. You have to keep all the dismissals in play, and not take lbw and bowled out of the equation. Do not just want to bowl for a catch. In Perth, where it is bouncy, that is almost offering the drive. Do that, and this Australia batting line-up will become vulnerable very quickly.
For Australia, this is the last dance. Their team who have been dubbed “Dad’s Army” will never play together again.
This England side should not fall apart, whatever happens in this series. Many of the players will get another shot at the Ashes in 2027 and beyond, because most of them are in their 20s. But this England group have been building towards this for four years, and will never have a better chance to win Down Under than this. Now grasp it.