The Ashes news: Australia vs England – Five questions that will decide the series Down Under
The 2025/26 Ashes series between Australia and England is shaping up to be one of the most hotly anticipated cricketing battles in years.
And if England are to win Down Under for the first time in 15 years, the details are going to make all the difference.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Joseph Ould takes a look at five key questions that could decide the blockbuster match-up.
Can Root ton up in Australia for the first time?
Currently the top-ranked Test batter in the world and widely regarded as one of England’s finest ever players, Joe Root has a sparkling CV with one gap – a Test hundred in Australia.
Indeed, despite averaging 51.29 in Test cricket, he only averages 35.68 in Australia.
If England want to dominate the series with the bat, they will need their premier batter to replicate the form he has shown over the last three years.
And without the pressure of captaincy this time around, Root could very well play his part and have a huge series with the bat.
Will Pat Cummins be able to play a part?
Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the opening Test match with a back injury and many people are wondering whether the bowler will play any part in the series at all.
His replacement is likely to be Scott Boland, who boasts a very impressive bowling average on Australian soil.
Yet, after a poor showing in the last Ashes series, England’s batters would certainly rather face Boland than Cummins.
The Australian captain’s absence also means Steve Smith takes over leadership duties, adding even more pressure onto the star batter’s shoulders.
READ MORE: Cricket news: England must overcome woeful Perth record if they are to regain Ashes from Australia
Will Bazball thrive in Australia?
England’s hard-hitting, free-flowing style of cricket divides opinion amongst supporters, with some seeing it as careless rather than brave.
However, it has brought the team a lot of success and victory in Australia would justify all of what Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have been saying and doing over the last three years.
On the other hand, many English fans are concerned that the Bazball approach will be their undoing on big Australian pitches, with catches on the boundary having been a major theme in the last Ashes series.
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Can Jofra Archer and Mark Wood stay fit?
Jofra Archer made his long-awaited return to Test cricket this summer against India after a four-year injury absence.
Since then, he has played multiple white-ball matches for England, boosting hopes he will be able to stay fit for the whole Ashes series.
Mark Wood, meanwhile, last featured in a Test match in August 2024 and has played very little cricket of any kind in the intervening period thanks to injuries.
The fast bowler is expected to be fit in time for the opening Test in Perth, though.
Ultimately, Archer and Wood’s high-speed bowling could be the key to unsettling an already uncertain Australian top order.
The pair should also be helped by the added pace and bounce of Australian wickets.
If Wood and Archer can remain fit for the whole series, England’s chances of regaining the Ashes dramatically improve.
Will Ben Stokes be fit to bowl?
England captain Ben Stokes was inspirational during the recent series against India, but consistently long spells of bowling eventually took their toll on his body and ruled him out of the final Test of the summer.
The all-rounder hasn’t played any cricket since and many wonder if he’ll be able to bowl in the Ashes.
Stokes provides England with some much-needed balance in the line-up given his ability to bat in the top six and bowl important spells, so if he is unable to bowl, the whole team is disrupted.
England would then need to find an extra bowler somewhere in the eleven, likely at the expense of a batter.
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