As the first ball is bowled under the blazing Perth sun this morning – November 21, 2025 – the 74th men's Ashes series bursts into life with more intrigue and uncertainty than we've seen in years.

As the first ball is bowled under the blazing Perth sun this morning – November 21, 2025 – the 74th men's Ashes series bursts into life with more intrigue and uncertainty than we've seen in years. Australia, the holders, are wounded giants; England, the eternal optimists under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, arrive with Bazball bravado and a genuine shot at their first series win Down Under since 2010-11.

Make no mistake: this is not the all-conquering Australian side of recent vintage. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, the spearheads of their pace attack, are sidelined for the opener, forcing Steve Smith – in his first Test as full-time captain – to hand debuts to opener Jake Weatherald and quick Brendan Doggett. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland will shoulder the burden alongside the evergreen Nathan Lyon, but the absence of that fearsome trio hands England a golden early opportunity on a Perth pitch renowned for bounce and carry.

Yet dismiss Australia at your peril. Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head form a batting core that can still bludgeon any attack, while Cameron Green's all-round prowess adds balance. This is a team in transition, perhaps even a touch vulnerable, but playing at home with the urn in their keeping – and a dreadful recent record for England in Australia (three straight 4-0 drubbings) hanging like a shadow.

For England, the equation is simple and thrilling: strike early, believe in the chaos of Bazball, and the impossible might just happen. Stokes, fit and firing, leads a side brimming with pace firepower – Jofra Archer's express return, Mark Wood's lightning, and Gus Atkinson's emerging menace. If they can exploit Australia's patched-up bowling and post aggressive totals, the momentum could swing decisively.

Seven Tests across Perth, Brisbane (pink-ball), Adelaide, Melbourne's Boxing Day spectacle, and Sydney's New Year finale await. History tells us Ashes series are rarely predictable once the heat is on. Australia may start as favourites, but with injuries biting and England's fearless cricket in full flow, it's genuinely all to play for.

Strap in, cricket fans – this could be a classic. 🏏 #Ashes #Ashes2025 #TheAshes #AUSvENG #ENGvAUS #testcricket #England #Australia #NewsImages