The Ashes: England's best chance in Australia for a generation? Why this year's series could be closer than past road drubbings

In the last 50 years, no Englishman has achieved what captain Ben Stokes has been tasked with in the coming months – to win back the Ashes in Australia.

While Mike Brearley, Mike Gatting and Andrew Strauss have all captained England to away success Down Under over the past half-century, each of those three triumphs came after a home Ashes win in the previous series.

Not since the weather-affected 1970/71 series has Australia hosted the reigning champions and failed to retain the urn, while England have not won a Test – let alone a series – against their rivals away from home for nearly 15 years.

England have won just six of their last 46 Tests in Australia – half of which came in their 2010/11 victory – with the last three away series resulting in two 4-0 drubbings and a 5-0 whitewash.

Stokes made his Test debut during the 2013/14 whitewash and is one of just three survivors from the 2015 home series win, England’s last Ashes success, but is now tasked with ending this long period of Australian dominance.

History and home ground advantage could put Australia as favorites again, although there is cautious optimism in England’s camp that this year’s contest could – and potentially should – be far closer than recent away editions…

Stokes ready to take on historic challenge

It was no surprise to see the Australian media poking fun at Stokes long before a ball was bowled, with the West Australian flagging him as a “cocky complainer” on arrival, while Joe Root, among others, is mocked by the press for his previous failure to score an Ashes century away from home.

Stokes has also shrugged off criticism from some former England players for their perceived limited Ashes preparations, despite going into the first Test having played just one three-day warm-up match against the England Lions since their ODI series defeat in New Zealand.

The 34-year-old is confident his body will remain injury-free to play in all five Tests, having missed the end of last summer’s India series, with his sights now set on joining the “lucky few” to lead England to an away Ashes victory.

“I’ve come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few England captains to come here and be successful,” Stokes said.

“(If we) play it down and don’t really accept this moment for what it is, I think we wouldn’t really understand what the moment is. There’s been a lot of talk about history and how things have gone for England. This is our chance to make our own history and it’s up to us what that looks like.”

Options galore in England’s pace attack

England’s bowlers have dealt with numerous injuries in the ‘Bazball’ era, while a settled frontline attack has yet to be found since Stuart Broad’s retirement after the Ashes in 2023 and the end of James Anderson’s international career the following summer.

Mark Wood has undergone elbow and knee surgery since his last Test appearance in August 2024 but is on the verge of a return, following his hamstring scare during last week’s warm-up match, with Jofra Archer also in good form after a couple of years with injuries.

Throw in Stokes, who is returning from a torn shoulder muscle, plus Brydon Carse – who considered having his toe amputated only last winter – and a fit Gus Atkinson, and England could have a five-man attack that has all clocked 90mph or higher in Test cricket.

There is certainly no expectation that Wood and Archer will play in all five Tests, given previous injury problems, although Mitchell Johnson has described England’s hopes resting on if the pair ‘can stay fit, stay quick and stay relentless through five brutal Tests’.

England would like to have both at their disposal for the first Test, on a pitch described as a “green monster”, but have Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts on hand as pace rotation options during the series.

Injuries and indecisiveness disrupt Australia’s build-up

An aging Australian team goes into the first Test with a sixth different opening partner for Usman Khawaja in just two years as they struggle to fill the void left by David Warner’s retirement, with 31-year-old debutant Jake Weatherald next to try to stake his claim.

Cameron Green is the only player under 30 in Australia’s 15-man squad for the series opener, with the all-rounder only returning to bowling in recent weeks after undergoing lower spine surgery last October.

Captain and pace bowler Pat Cummins is out for at least the first Test as he recovers from a lower back injury, with a muscle strain for Josh Hazlewood leaving Australia without two of their big three pace trio.

Brendan Doggett, also 31, joins Weatherald in making his Test debut in Perth, while 36-year-old Scott Boland is likely to lead the line with left-arm quick Mitchell Starc.

A combination of injuries and out of form led former England seamer Stuart Broad to suggest this is the worst Australian team since 2010/11.

It’s a claim that was understandably questioned by Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who said: “We’ll wait and see. We’ve got a really experienced cricket team that’s been very successful over the last three, four, five years.”

England excited for ‘biggest series’ in developed Bazball era

While England’s Bazball mantra is not viewed as negatively as some media have suggested, with one newspaper describing the style as “dupey” and “careless thrash batting”, it obviously gets under the skin of many of their fans and former players.

England’s attacking approach since Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge in 2022 has seen them win 25 of their 41 Tests, while opener Ben Duckett believes they have evolved to be focused on ‘reading moments’ rather than ‘this entertaining, sometimes reckless’ team.

Those experiences will be tested in a different environment and with media attention unlike any other series, with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting suggesting England have been building towards this since the 2-2 draw when the two sides last met in 2023.

“They are a side that have been together for two years (since the Ashes in 2023) building up to this,” Ponting said. “Forget everything that’s happened over the last two years, it was about having a group together and a style of play that can stand up and win Test matches in Australia.”

McCullum described the upcoming Ashes, back in September, as ‘the biggest series of all our lives’. A bold statement, but one that will fuel optimistic England fans at home over the coming weeks as they disrupt their body clocks in the hope of following up a generation-defining win.

Bring. The. On.

Ashes series in Australia 2025-26

All times Great Britain and Ireland

First test: Friday 21 November – Tuesday 25 November (02.30) – Optus Stadium, Perth
Second test (day/night): Thursday 4 December – Monday 8 December (4.30) – The Gabba, Brisbane
Third test: Wednesday 17 December – Sunday 21 December (12:00) – Adelaide Oval
Fourth test: Thursday 25 December – Monday 29 December (11.30 p.m) – Melbourne Cricket Ground
Fifth test: Sunday 4 January – Thursday 8 January (11.30 p.m) – Sydney Cricket Ground