Ashes First Test preview: Australia v England head to heads, what to expect

The time for talk is nearly over, Ashes fever is here and if the 2023 series is anything to go by then we are set for a blockbuster winter of cricket which all gets underway in Perth on Friday morning (02:20 UK start).

An away Ashes series often comes with feelings of dread for English fans but there is a genuine belief, or hope at least, that this England side can conquer Australia on their own patch for the first time in 15 years to give the Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes era a much-needed headline series victory.

Team news

Australia suffered two major blows before the series as they are without two of their strike bowlers for the Perth opener in captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

This means either Brendan Doggett or Michael Neser will come into the side to support Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.

A decision is also needed at the top of the order, regarding Marnus Labuschagne’s batting position and the fitness of Cameron Green to fulfill the all-rounder role ahead of Beau Webster, with Jake Weatherald poised to become Usman Khawaja’s latest Test opening partner.

England are looking a much more settled outfit, with just the combination of their bowling group to settle on after their warm-up match against the Lions hinted heavily at an all-pace attack being deployed, unless Shoaib Bashir continues to be backed as the frontline spinner.

Mark Wood has been passed fit but may not be risked with Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue pushing to start alongside Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson.

Ollie Pope – who made two timely scores of 100 and 90 last week – is set to maintain his place at No 3 ahead of Jacob Bethell as McCullum and co rubberstamp their consistency in selection.

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England’s woeful record in Perth

This is the first Ashes Test to take place at the flashy Perth Stadium and whilst pitch conditions may not be too dissimilar from the WACA Ground across the Swan River, England will be hopeful for a change of fortunes after a run of eight consecutive defeats in Western Australia and just a solitary win back in 1978.

England do possess a 100% record at the ground in three white-ball contests, including two narrow victories over the Aussies and a success against Afghanistan in their opening game of the triumphant 2022 T20 World Cup campaign.

What to expect?

Pace and bounce. A familiar tale facing England across the first three Test venues of the series.

Ideal conditions to unleash a high-octane pace attack and perhaps also suited to their expansive Bazball blueprint that will enjoy confidence of ball coming onto the bat nicely.

In the five Tests played at the 60,000-seater stadium to date, the captain who won the toss has opted to bat first and his side have gone on to win on each occasion.

Day one has traditionally been the best time to bat with an average first-innings score of 395 across those five Tests, a total which drops to 221 for the team batting second.

That being said, the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was also played at a similar time in November last year – previously mid-December – with a green-tinged surface which saw seamers claim 17 wickets on day one, before the pitch flattened out as India made hay in their second innings.

Despite the favourable conditions for the quicks, spinner Nathan Lyon has proved hugely effective as the venue’s most prolific bowler with 29 wickets, in comparison to the struggles of his overseas counterparts.

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All eyes on potential debutants

Opener Jake Weatherald and seam bowler Brendan Doggett, both 31, are in contention to make their Test debuts in the first Ashes Test.

Left-handed Weatherald was the leading run-scorer in the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield and was favoured ahead of young gun Sam Konstas to become Usman Khawaja’s seventh partner at the top of the order in two years.

Khawaja, 38, himself has struggled for consistent form, with the top-order identified as an area of weakness with no century partnership since David Warner retired, which England will be keen to exploit.

Late bloomer Doggett, like many Australian seamers, has had to bide his time for an opportunity on the international stage but the late injuries to Josh Hazlewood and fellow back-up Sean Abbott means the South Australian quick is set to become the third indigenous man after Jason Gillespie and Scott Boland to represent his country in Test cricket.

Suggested bets

Jake Weatherald top Australian run-scorer in first innings: 13/2 (Sky Bet)

Brendan Doggett top Australia wicket-taker in first innings: 7/2 (Sky Bet)

Big guns look to hit the ground running

Will Perth Stadium be the location ‘Average Joe’ Root ends his much talked about wait for a Test century in Australia?

England’s main man began the 2023 Ashes with a day one ton at Edgbaston and the same again would go a long way to his side landing the first blow on the pitch, whilst also silencing the media talk which is only likely to snowball throughout the series if the run continues.

If Root is the key wicket for Australia, then Steve Smith is certainly that for England as he closes in on Steve Waugh as Australia’s third all-time Test run-scorer.

The stand-in captain had a fairly average home Ashes series last time out by his usual standards.

But he has a typically formidable record in Western Australia where he made a double century against England in the final Ashes Test at the WACA Ground in 2017-18 and more recently an unbeaten 200 in the win over West Indies at the new Perth Stadium three years ago.

Suggested bets

Joe Root to score a half-century/century in the first innings: 13/8 / 11/2 Price Boost (Sky Bet)

Steve Smith to score a half-century/century in the first innings: 11/8 / 7/2 (Sky Bet)

Joe Root/Steve Smith top run-scorer double in the first innings: 12/1 (Sky Bet)

Elsewhere, Ben Stokes looked back to his best against India in the summer, to his detriment fitness-wise, and showed form with bat and ball in the warm-up match that ensured he is good to go and is usually at the heart of any England success.

Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc may be feeling the burden without his usual partners alongside him, despite Boland’s phenomenal record at home, with perhaps extra reliance on his ability to make early inroads with the swinging new ball.

England stars aiming to make their mark in Australia

The vast majority of England’s side will be playing an Ashes series Down Under for the first time and will be hoping their refreshed group will play with a freedom devoid of past struggles.

Vice-captain Harry Brook had not yet made his international debut when the 2021-22 series was contested but is now a key man in the middle order with his destructive nature that typifies England’s new approach in the wake of that tour.

Brook has a remarkable Test average of 80 away from home with seven centuries – but still will feel a need to prove himself in Australia, having scored just a combined 100 runs in 12 innings across a World T20 and Big Bash stint.

Ben Duckett has established himself as one of the leading opening batters in Test cricket and forged a productive partnership with Zak Crawley which could be a decisive factor if England are to experience a change of fortunes after previous difficulties against the new ball.

Unlike Brook, Duckett has enjoyed previous success in the Big Bash League with three half-centuries in seven matches for Melbourne Stars last season, whilst the 31-year-old also made a match-winning contribution in the opening Test against India in the summer when he anchored a final innings chase of 371 at Headingley with a fluent 149.

Suggested bets

Harry Brook top England run-scorer in first innings: 4/1 Price Boost (Sky Bet)

Ben Duckett top England run-scorer in first innings: 9/2 (Sky Bet)

In the bowling department, England will be delighted to have their X-factor quick Jofra Archer available to call upon after injury problems ruled him out of the 2021-22 and 2023 series, a key figure who should relish the prospect of bowling on Australian pitches in Test cricket for the first time.

His relentless pace caused the Australian batters trouble during the 2019 series, only truly replicated in the same manner by Mark Wood in the preceding two series as England place much of their hopes on the duo holding up for as much of the series as possible.

Suggested bet

Jofra Archer top England wicket-taker in the first innings: 11/4 (Sky Bet)

With no James Anderson and Stuart Broad this time around, England are arriving with a pace-heavy attack deemed more suited to the challenge ahead, with Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue all eager to impress on their maiden Ashes tour.

Underrated head-to-heads

Marnus Labuschagne v Ollie Pope – two batters with a lot of attention surrounding them as a recalled Labuschagne looks to translate his domestic form, whilst Pope will once again be under immense scrutiny in what feels a defining series for England’s long-standing No 3. 

Alex Carey v Jamie Smith – the battle of the wicketkeepers could play a major role in the outcome of the series, not only behind the stumps but also as key batters in the lower order who have demonstrated their ability to rapidly shift the momentum of a game (Brad Haddin’s consistency in the 2013-14 series is often overlooked as a contributing factor to Australia’s whitewash behind Mitchell Johnson’s dominance with the ball).

Scott Boland v Gus Atkinson – all eyes will be on Mitchell Starc and Jofra Archer spearheading their respective attacks but Boland will be taking on greater accountability in the absence of key figures, whilst Atkinson with an impressive Test record of 63 wickets at 22.01 has gone somewhat under the radar as a valuable member of England’s bowling unit.

History to repeat itself?

The first Test in recent years has often been a strong indicator for the series to follow.

In 2021-22, Rory Burns was bowled first ball by Mitchell Starc, before Travis Head went on to bludgeon a rapid 152 – five more than the England team managed in their first innings.

Last time out at Edgbaston, there was more first-ball drama as Zak Crawley confidently dispatched a Pat Cummins loosener to the fence, with Ben Stokes declaring before the close of play which set in motion a thriller in which the tourists came out narrowly on top.

As previously touched upon, the Test between Australia and India at Perth Stadium also had an all-action start with both teams dismissed cheaply for 150 and 104 as batting early on proved tricky.

Suggested bets

Travis Head to score a century in the first innings: 5/1 (Sky Bet)

A wicket taken or boundary scored in the first over of the match: 12/1 (Sky Bet)

No player to reach 50+ runs in the first innings: 6/1 (Sky Bet)

A significant Test…particularly for England

It has been widely publicised as a major opportunity for the tourists to take a rare 1-0 lead in an away Ashes series, though the toss could likely play a major factor in the outcome before the national anthems are played.

There is the personnel boost with captain Ben Stokes and speedster Mark Wood ensuring a clean bill of health, whilst Australia are without two of their frontline bowlers – both due to return for the second Test – and still have uncertainty around the selection of their top order.

There is also the psychological edge from the opener moving away from the Gabba in Brisbane where England so often struggled to recover from a poor start, with Australia also losing for the first time in Test matches at Perth Stadium to India last year, before they recovered to secure the series 3-1.

England have a perfect record on the line in winning the first Test of every away series under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, including in India when they went on to lose convincingly 4-1.

With World Test Championship points also on the line, a defeat for Australia would feel like a setback but for England, it may represent a much more damaging outcome in their quest to make history and regain the urn.

Suggested bets

England to win the first Test: 6/4 (Sky Bet)

England to win, have a first innings lead and hit the most match sixes: 5/1 Price Boost (Sky Bet)

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