Australia and England are ready to reignite their iconic rivalry as the 2025/26 Ashes series begins with the first Test at Optus Stadium in Perth. The five-match contest carries added weight, with crucial World Test Championship 2025-27 points on the line for both teams.
England arrive in Australia with plenty to prove. After drawing their home series 2-2 against India earlier this year, they now face the challenge of ending a long drought in Australia-their last Test series win on Australian soil came in 2010/11.
Andrew Strauss was the captain during that landmark 3-1 triumph, and since then, England have reclaimed the Ashes only once, in the 2015 series that finished 3-2 in their favour.
Australia, meanwhile, have kept tight hold of the urn for
several years. They crushed England 4-0 in the 2017/18 home Ashes, retained it with a 2-2 draw in 2019, dominated again 4-0 in the 2021/22 edition at home, and held on with another 2-2 draw during the 2023 tour of England.
For Ben Stokes and Co., this tour is about more than just history. England will be aiming to break their winless streak and also showcase how their much-debated aggressive approach - "Bazball" - fares in Australian conditions for the very first time. Expectations are high as the visitors search for a breakthrough performance in a territory that has long been tough for touring sides.
Australia Playing XI: Weatheralad, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Smith (C), Head, Green, Carey, Starc, Lyon, Doggett, Boland
Australia vs England Squads
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland, Beau Webster, Josh Inglis, Michael Neser.
England: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, Will Jacks.
Australia vs England 1st Test Live Streaming
The first Test between England and Australia will begin at 7:50 AM IST on 21st November for viewers in India. Fans in India can watch the match live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD, while online streaming will be available on JioCinema or Disney+ Hotstar, depending on the broadcaster's rights.
In the United Kingdom, the match will start at 2:20 AM GMT. Viewers in the UK can catch the live action on TNT Sports on television, and stream it online through the discovery+ app.
For fans in the United States, the Test will begin on 20th November at 9:20 PM EST and 6:20 PM PST. The match will be available both on TV and online through Willow TV.
In Australia, the match will begin from 1:20 PM AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne, 12:20 PM AEST in Brisbane, and 10:20 AM AWST in Perth. Australian viewers can stream the match live on 7plus, while TV coverage will be provided on Channel Seven, with additional options on Foxtel.
