2025–26 Ashes series

2025–26 Ashes series
Part of English cricket team in Australia in 2025–26
Date21 November 2025 – 8 January 2026
LocationAustralia
ResultAustralia won the five-match series 4–1
Player of the seriesCompton–Miller Medal:
Mitchell Starc (Aus)[1]
Teams
 Australia  England
Captains
 Ben Stokes
Most runs
Travis Head (629)
Alex Carey (323)
Steve Smith (286)		 Joe Root (400)
Harry Brook (358)
Zak Crawley (273)
Most wickets
Mitchell Starc (31)
Scott Boland (20)
Michael Neser (15)		 Brydon Carse (22)
Josh Tongue (18)
Ben Stokes (15)
← 2023
2027 →

The 2025–26 Ashes series, branded as NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes Series for sponsorship reasons, was a series of Test cricket matches played between Australia and England for The Ashes, between 21 November 2025 and 8 January 2026.[6][7] The five-match series formed part of the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship.[8]

Australia were the holders of the Ashes, having won in 2021–22[9] and drawn in 2023.[10] After taking a 3–0 lead in the series, Australia retained the Ashes.[11] England won the 4th Test in Melbourne by 4 wickets, ending an 18-match (14-year) losing streak in Australia in Ashes Tests and prevented a whitewash.[12] In the fifth test, Australia won by 5 wickets and thus ended the series with 4 – 1.[13][14]

Squads

 Australia[15]  England[16]

Australia named a 15-man squad for the first Test, with regular captain Pat Cummins unavailable due to injury.[15] On 12 November, Sean Abbott was ruled out of the first Test with a moderate-grade hamstring injury, and was replaced by Brendan Doggett.[17] On 15 November, Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the first Test with a hamstring injury, and was replaced by Michael Neser.[18][19] On 24 November, Hazlewood was ruled out of the second Test,[20] before being ruled out of the rest of the series on 9 December.[21][22] Pat Cummins was also added back to the squad and returned to captain the team in the third test.[23] On 23 December, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon were ruled out of the remainder of the Test series due to back issues and a hamstring injury, respectively.[24][25] The pair were replaced by Jhye Richardson and Todd Murphy.[26]

On 9 December, Mark Wood was ruled out of remainder of the Test series with a knee injury, and was replaced by Matthew Fisher.[27][28] On 24 December, Jofra Archer was ruled out of the remainder of the Test series with a side strain.[29][30] On 29 December, Gus Atkinson was ruled out of the fifth Test with a hamstring injury.[31]

Venues

The five venues are Perth Stadium, The Gabba, Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground. The venues and dates for the series were announced by Cricket Australia on 16 October 2024.[32][33]

Perth Stadium hosted the first Test of the series.[34] This was the first time Perth Stadium hosted an Ashes Test and marked the return of Ashes cricket to Perth, after the city was not included in the schedule for the 2021–22 series.[35]

It was the first Ashes series in Australia not to commence at the Gabba in Brisbane, since the 1982–83 series. Brisbane instead hosted the second Test of the series, which was a day/night match.[36]

Tour matches

On 24 July 2025, Cricket Australia announced the fixtures for the warm-up matches.[37] On 29 July, Cricket Australia announced the pink-ball Ashes warm-up match between Prime Minister's XI and England XI.[38][39] The England preparation was criticised by several former players in advance with the team only playing a warm-up game against England Lions.[40]

England XI v England Lions

13–15 November 2025
Scorecard
v
382 (79.3 overs)
Will Jacks 84 (85)
Ben Stokes 6/52 (16 overs)
426 (85.3 overs)
Ollie Pope 100 (113)
Jacob Bethell 3/14 (4.3 overs)
6/251d (44.5 overs)
Jacob Bethell 70 (80)
Brydon Carse 3/65 (11 overs)
5/202 (34.4 overs)
Ollie Pope 90 (67)
Will Jacks 2/67 (9.4 overs)
England XI won by 5 wickets
Lilac Hill Park, Perth
Umpires: Simon Bussey (Aus) and Ahmad Khan (Aus)
  • England XI won the toss and elected to field.

Prime Minister's XI v England XI

29–30 November 2025 (D/N)
Scorecard
v
8/308d (83 overs)
Campbell Kellaway 82 (126)
Tom Haines 2/51 (12 overs)
2/309 (66.3 overs)
James Rew 92* (123)
Campbell Thompson 1/46 (11 overs)
England XI won by 8 wickets
Manuka Oval, Canberra
Umpires: Gerard Abood (Aus) and Ben Treloar (Aus)
  • Prime Minister's XI won the toss and elected to bat.

Matches

First Test

21–22 November 2025
Scorecard
v
172 (32.5 overs)
Harry Brook 52 (61)
Mitchell Starc 7/58 (12.5 overs)
132 (45.2 overs)
Alex Carey 26 (26)
Ben Stokes 5/23 (6 overs)
164 (34.4 overs)
Gus Atkinson 37 (32)
Scott Boland 4/33 (11.4 overs)
2/205 (28.2 overs)
Travis Head 123 (83)
Brydon Carse 2/44 (5.2 overs)
Australia won by 8 wickets
Perth Stadium, Perth
Umpires: Adrian Holdstock (SA) and Nitin Menon (Ind)
Player of the match: Mitchell Starc (Aus)
  • England won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald (Aus) both made their Test debuts.[41]
  • This was the first time the side batting last won at Perth Stadium.[42]
  • Mitchell Starc's (Aus) 7/58 first innings bowling figures were a career-best in Test cricket.[43][44]
  • Head's century off 69 balls was the second-fastest in Ashes history.[45]
  • This Test was the first Ashes Test to be concluded inside two days since the first Test of 1921 and the shortest by balls bowled since 1888.[46][47]
  • World Test Championship points: Australia 12, England 0.

Second Test

4–7 December 2025 (D/N)
Scorecard
v
334 (76.2 overs)
Joe Root 138* (206)
Mitchell Starc 6/75 (20 overs)
511 (117.3 overs)
Mitchell Starc 77 (141)
Brydon Carse 4/152 (29 overs)
241 (75.2 overs)
Ben Stokes 50 (152)
Michael Neser 5/42 (16.2 overs)
2/69 (10 overs)
Steve Smith 23* (9)
Gus Atkinson 2/37 (5 overs)
Australia won by 8 wickets
The Gabba, Brisbane
Umpires: Adrian Holdstock (SA) and Sharfuddoula (Ban)
Player of the match: Mitchell Starc (Aus)

Third Test

17–21 December 2025
Scorecard
v
371 (91.2 overs)
Alex Carey 106 (143)
Jofra Archer 5/53 (20.2 overs)
286 (87.2 overs)
Ben Stokes 83 (198)
Scott Boland 3/45 (15.2 overs)
349 (84.4 overs)
Travis Head 170 (219)
Josh Tongue 4/70 (18 overs)
352 (102.5 overs)
Zak Crawley 85 (151)
Pat Cummins 3/48 (17 overs)
Australia won by 82 runs
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Umpires: Nitin Menon (Ind) and Ahsan Raza (Pak)
Player of the match: Alex Carey (Aus)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Will Jacks' first-innings economy rate of 5.25 was the second-highest in Test history for any bowler to have delivered 20 overs (behind Jimmy Sinclair in 1902).[56]
  • Australia won and retained the Ashes as a result of this match.[57] It was also the fifth consecutive Ashes series Australia has retained.
  • Australia retained the Ashes in 11 days, the quickest series victory since 2002–03.[58]
  • World Test Championship points: Australia 12, England 0.

Fourth Test

26–27 December 2025
Scorecard
v
152 (45.2 overs)
Michael Neser 35 (49)
Josh Tongue 5/45 (11.2 overs)
110 (29.5 overs)
Harry Brook 41 (34)
Michael Neser 4/45 (10 overs)
132 (34.3 overs)
Travis Head 46 (67)
Brydon Carse 4/34 (11 overs)
6/178 (32.2 overs)
Jacob Bethell 40 (46)
Jhye Richardson 2/22 (5.2 overs)
England won by 4 wickets
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SL) and Chris Gaffaney (NZ)
Player of the match: Josh Tongue (Eng)
  • England won the toss and elected to field.
  • Josh Tongue (Eng) took his first five-wicket haul in Australia. He also became the first England player to take five-wicket haul at the MCG since 1998.[59]
  • The Day 1 crowd of 94,199 was the largest in the history of cricket in Australia, beating the previous record of 93,013 at the 2015 Cricket World Cup final.[60][61]
  • Harry Brook (Eng) became the fastest batsman to score 3,000 runs in Tests in terms of balls faced.[62]
  • Steve Smith (Aus) surpassed Allan Border to become the second highest run-scorer in Ashes history after Don Bradman.[63]
  • Ben Duckett (Eng) scored his 3,000th run in Tests.[64]
  • This was England's first Test win in Australia for almost 15 years.[65]
  • This was the second Test of this Ashes series to be completed in two days. This made the 2025-26 Ashes series the first Ashes series since the 1888 series (held in England) to have two or more two-day tests over the course of an Ashes series.[66]
  • This test was only 17th occasion in the history of Test Cricket (out of 2615 Tests) where no batsmen from either team made a half century in the match and the second such occurrence in a test played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[67]
  • World Test Championship points: England 12, Australia 0.

Fifth Test

4–8 January 2026
Scorecard
v
384 (97.3 overs)
Joe Root 160 (242)
Michael Neser 4/60 (18.3 overs)
567 (133.5 overs)
Travis Head 163 (166)
Josh Tongue 3/97 (30 overs)
342 (88.2 overs)
Jacob Bethell 154 (265)
Beau Webster 3/64 (16 overs)
5/161 (31.2 overs)
Marnus Labuschagne 37 (40)
Josh Tongue 3/42 (11 overs)
Australia won by 5 wickets
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZ) and Ahsan Raza (Pak)
Player of the match: Travis Head (Aus)

Statistics

Leading run-scorers

Rank Name Runs Inns. NO HS Ave. 100s 50s SR
1 Australia Travis Head 629 10 0 170 62.90 3 0 87.36
2 England Joe Root 400 10 1 160 44.44 2 0 58.30
3 England Harry Brook 358 10 1 84 39.77 0 2 81.73
4 Australia Alex Carey 323 8 1 106 46.14 1 2 72.25
5 Australia Steve Smith 286 8 3 138 57.20 1 1 63.69
Source: ESPNcricinfo

Leading wicket-takers

Rank Name Wkts. Ovs. Mdns. Runs Eco. Ave. Best.
1 Australia Mitchell Starc 31 153.1 15 618 4.03 19.93 7/58
2 England Brydon Carse 22 138.4 13 667 4.81 30.31 4/34
3 Australia Scott Boland 20 159.5 27 499 3.12 24.95 4/33
4 England Josh Tongue 18 97.2 5 362 3.71 20.11 5/45
5 Australia Michael Neser 15 82.5 9 299 3.60 19.93 5/42
England Ben Stokes 101.1 12 377 3.72 25.13 5/23
Source: ESPNcricinfo

Notes

  1. ^ a b In the absence of Test captain Pat Cummins due to injury, Steve Smith assumed the captaincy for the first, second, fourth and fifth Tests.[2][3][4]
  2. ^ a b Cummins returned to the captaincy in the third Test.[5]

References

  1. ^ "The Ashes: Mitchell Starc claims Compton-Miller Medal as player of the series for brilliance with ball and bat". The West Australian. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  2. ^ Hytner, Mike. "Pat Cummins ruled out of first Ashes Test, with Steve Smith to captain Australia". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  3. ^ McGlashan, Andrew. "Cummins to miss Brisbane Test against England as Australia name unchanged 14". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  4. ^ Harper, Lachlan (26 December 2025). "Australia makes three changes to squad for Boxing Day Test with four-man pace attack confirmed". Wide World of Sports. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  5. ^ "The Ashes: Australia's Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon return for third Test vs England but Usman Khawaja left out". Sky Sports. News UK. 17 December 2025.
  6. ^ "West Test to launch 2025–26 Ashes summer". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  7. ^ "2025–26 Men's Ashes Fixtures announced". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Cricket Australia announces 2025–26 home Ashes schedule". The Top Bookies. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Ashes: England crushed by Australia in final Test". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  10. ^ Martin, Ali (31 July 2023). "Broad seals England win in fifth Test against Australia to draw Ashes series". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  11. ^ Miller, Andrew. "No Christmas miracle for England as Australia make it 3–0 to retain the Ashes in 11 days". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  12. ^ Shemilt, Stephan (27 December 2025). "The Ashes 2025-26: England win staggering two-day Test against Australia in Melbourne". BBC Sport.
  13. ^ "Australia seal 4-1 Ashes win in Sydney". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  14. ^ Brettig, Daniel. "England never recovered from Perth, and neither did this Ashes series". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  15. ^ a b "Weatherald named in Australia's 15-man Ashes squad". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  16. ^ "England Men name 16-man squad for Ashes Series". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  17. ^ Cameron, Louis (12 November 2025). "Hazlewood cleared for Perth, Abbott suffers hamstring strain". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  18. ^ Cameron, Louis (15 November 2025). "Hazlewood out of Ashes opener, Doggett firms for debut". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  19. ^ McGlashan, Andrew (15 November 2025). "Hazlewood out of Ashes opener with hamstring injury". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  20. ^ McGlashan, Andrew (24 November 2025). "Hazlewood set to miss Brisbane, Cummins pushes hard for return". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  21. ^ Cameron, Lewis (9 December 2025). "Cummins set for Adelaide comeback amid Hazlewood blow". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  22. ^ "Hazlewood ruled out of Ashes after Achilles setback". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  23. ^ "Hazlewood out of Ashes, Cummins confirmed for Adelaide". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  24. ^ "Key pair to miss as Aussies name squad for Boxing Day Test". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  25. ^ "Pat Cummins ruled out of last two Ashes Tests". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  26. ^ "Murphy, Jhye in for Boxing Day with Lyon set for surgery". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  27. ^ "Mark Wood ruled out for the remainder of the Ashes". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  28. ^ "'Gutted' Wood out of the remainder of the Ashes, Fisher named replacement". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  29. ^ "The Ashes: England bowler Jofra Archer ruled out of rest of series by injury as Gus Atkinson and Jacob Bethell start Boxing Day Test". Sky Sports. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  30. ^ "Archer out of Ashes tour, Bethell replaces Pope for Boxing Day Test". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  31. ^ "Atkinson ruled out of final Ashes Test with hamstring injury". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  32. ^ "Ashes 2025–26 dates announced by Cricket Australia". BBC Sport. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  33. ^ "Dates, venues confirmed for next Ashes series". International Cricket Council. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  34. ^ "Ashes 2025–26, AUS v ENG Test Series: Cricket Australia announces schedule; Perth to host first match". Sportstar. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  35. ^ "Perth Stadium set to make Ashes debut". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Ashes 2025–26: CA schedules Brisbane day-night Test after Perth opener". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  37. ^ "England to play only one Ashes warm-up match, against England Lions". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  38. ^ "Two-day pink-ball Prime Minister's XI match ahead of Ashes day-night Test". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  39. ^ "PM's XI to provide England with pink-ball Ashes warm-up". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  40. ^ "Stokes defends England criticism from 'has-beens'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  41. ^ "Weatherald and Doggett handed debuts in first Ashes Test". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  42. ^ "List of match results (by season) in Tests at AUS: Perth Stadium". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  43. ^ De Silva, Chris (21 November 2025). "Mitchell Starc registers career-best figures as England's 'unacceptable' batting style backfires". ABC News. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  44. ^ "34 years later! Mitchell Starc breaks Ashes record last seen in 1991". The Times of India. 21 November 2025. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  45. ^ "Fastest Hundreds (by balls faced) in Tests". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  46. ^ "First time since 19th century: Ancient records tumble in Ashes as 121-year-old ghost returns to haunt England". Hindustan Times. 22 November 2025. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  47. ^ Narayanan, Deepu (22 November 2025). "Records tumble in third-shortest Ashes Test". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  48. ^ "Mitchell Starc Shatters Legendary Wasim Akram's All-Time Test Record". NDTV Sports. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  49. ^ "Most Test runs at No.9: Mitchell Starc overtakes England great with brutal Brisbane Ashes knock". Wisden. 6 December 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  50. ^ ""It feels pretty special": Head on his ton against England in Ashes opener". The Tribune. 22 November 2025. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  51. ^ "AUS vs ENG, 2nd Test: All 11 batters in Australia's innings have reached double figures for just third time in 150 years". Crictoday. 6 December 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  52. ^ Vaitla, Sai (6 December 2025). "Australia create history! All 11 batters reach double figures in an innings during Brisbane Test vs ENG". Cricket Addictor. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  53. ^ "Ashes 2025–26: Joe Root scores maiden Test century in Australia". Sportstar. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  54. ^ "Neser thought his Test career was over 12 months ago… now he's an Ashes hero". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  55. ^ "Neser's maiden fifer powers Australia to 2–0 lead". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  56. ^ Gardner, Ben (19 December 2025). "England's spin drain is a problem of their own making". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Retrieved 20 December 2025. ...Will Jacks, who bowled 19 overs for 107 runs. In the first innings, it was 105 conceded in 20. Only once in the history of Test cricket has a bowler bowled as many overs in a game with a higher economy rate (South Africa's Jimmy Sinclair in 1902, if you were wondering).
  57. ^ Decent, Tom. "'Bazball is officially dead': Australia retain the Ashes after England fightback falls short". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  58. ^ Martin, Ali (21 December 2025). "Starc breaks England hearts again as Australia retain the Ashes in tense third Test". The Guardian. Adelaide Oval. Retrieved 21 December 2025. ...it is Australia who go into Christmas 3–0 up and can start plotting another whitewash. Only the all-time great side led by Steve Waugh in 2001 and 2002–03 has secured the series victory so quickly...
  59. ^ "Tongue breaks 27-year drought with Boxing Day bonanza". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  60. ^ "MCG sets new all-time cricket attendance record". Melbourne Cricket Ground. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  61. ^ "Neser's dream fulfilled in front of record MCG crowd". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  62. ^ "England's Harry Brook becomes fastest to reach 3,000 Test runs in terms of balls faced". The Tribune. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  63. ^ "Steve Smith overtakes Allan Border, becomes Australia's second-highest run-getter against England in Tests". Economic Times. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  64. ^ "England's Ben Duckett completes 3,000 Test runs". Tribune India. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  65. ^ "England break 14-year drought with rare Ashes Test triumph". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  66. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2025/dec/29/history-ashes-australia-v-england-two-day-tests-cricket
  67. ^ https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;groupby=match;orderby=start;qualmax1=0;qualmin2=20;qualval1=fifty_plus;qualval2=innings;template=results;type=batting
  68. ^ "Australia veteran calls time on career". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  69. ^ "Ashes: Jacob Bethell hits maiden FC hundred during Sydney Test, England's star joins elite list". Tribune India. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  70. ^ "Five-day Ashes epic breaks all-time crowd record". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
allikas: Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%9326_Ashes_series