1st ASHES Test: Australia v England @ Optus Stadium PERTH Nov 21-25, 2025

[TheParraboy]

on brighter news second last Thunder carving up last placed Heat

 

[Bazal]

The only bat all day who looked any good was Harry Brook. Tbh the ICC should give both sides a mulligan tomorrow, probably still lose the last day's play

 

[Haffa]

This is last year all over again. Why isn’t this test at the Gabba?

 

[wittyfan]

Big mistake not to pick Konstas.

 

[RealdEel]

We really needed to start replacing out basement post the 2023 Ashes series..

But instead we went to Perth with the same aging squad...

But hey at least we have Green...

 

[RealdEel]

We really needed to start replacing out basement post the 2023 Ashes series..

But instead we went to Perth with the same aging squad...

But hey at least we have Green...

 

[Chins]

We really needed to start replacing out basement post the 2023 Ashes series..

But instead we went to Perth with the same aging squad...

But hey at least we have Green...

Yeah but with who? The cupboard is completely bare

 

[Bazal]

Yeah but with who? The cupboard is completely bare

It tends to get empty when you make no effort to restock it

 

[jargan83]

 

[Chins]

It tends to get empty when you make no effort to restock it

Green is the only good bat in Australia under 30. Is what it is really.

 

[Bazal]

Green is the only good bat in Australia under 30. Is what it is really.

Again, because we haven't bothered to develop any.

There's a few more in their early 20s. Watch us fumble developing them too

 

[TheParraboy]

How is Green our best bat today?

Got the best of the conditions, new ball diluted

dumb as the rest of them who threw their wicket away

 

[undertaker]

Not a great day for us.

Rollercoaster for both sides.

Starc needs better support this second innings. I think that England bowled much better as a unit.

Regardless of whether he's captain woke or not, Cummins needs to be back in the side for the Brisbane test in 13 days time.

Australia's incredibly fortunate today that Starc didn't have one of his infamous off days spraying the Kookaburra ball around like a pinball, otherwise the situation would be a hell of a lot worse for them with none of the other bowlers building sustained pressure from the other end (albeit Doggett did show moments of brilliance in his brief spell).

 

[RealdEel]

Yeah but with who? The cupboard is completely bare

They have had over 2 years to come up with some better options.

Renshaw got dropped after only 14 games and most of them were overseas..

David Warner retired and they thought hey you know what let's move our best player to open.

Phil Jaques wishes he was born 25 years later..

 

[Fangs]

Regardless of whether he's captain woke or not, Cummins needs to be back into the side for the Brisbane test in 13 days time.

Australia's incredibly fortunate today that Starc didn't have one of his infamous off days spraying the Kookaburra ball around like a pinball, otherwise the situation would be a hell of a lot worse with none of the other bowlers building sustained pressure from the other end.

He is the first picked player every single match any format. Just a total gun.

13 days though. Is he ready? If we are down 0-1 he has to be played.

 

[undertaker]

Too many easy runs were given away, and England ended up scoring at 5.23 runs/over, thanks to Boland. Duckett et al. have figured him out, nudging down the pitch an extra foot or two just before the point of delivery, getting Boland off that good length and easily hit the ball on a half-volley to the boundary.

Boland constantly leaking runs kept England in the contest. As good as he's been at times over the past 4 years, his lack of variation (e.g. 2023 Ashes) gets exposed once batsmen start to dominate him.

Had Cummins or Hazlewood tied down the other end and continued on their nagging line and length whilst Starc was taking wickets, England would've crumbled under pressure and struggled to make 100.

 

[Chins]

Too many easy runs were given away, and England ended up scoring at 5.23 runs/over, thanks to Boland. Duckett et al. have figured him out, nudging down the pitch an extra foot or two just before the point of delivery, getting Boland off that good length and easily hit the ball on a half-volley to the boundary.

Boland constantly leaking runs kept England in the contest. As good as he's been at times over the past 4 years, his lack of variation (e.g. 2023 Ashes) gets exposed once batsmen start to dominate him.

Had Cummins or Hazlewood tied down the other end and continued on their nagging line and length whilst Starc was taking wickets, England would've crumbled under pressure and struggled to make 100.

This is Bolands last ever test

 

[undertaker]

They have had over 2 years to come up with some better options.

Renshaw got dropped after only 14 games and most of them were overseas..

David Warner retired and they thought hey you know what let's move our best player to open.

Phil Jaques wishes he was born 25 years later..

Not just Phil Jaques....Matthew Elliott, Jamie Cox, Michael Di Venuto and co. from the 1990s who piled on thousands of runs at Shield level in more difficult conditions all say hello!

I still maintain it was not only a mistake to hold onto Warner in the test side for as long as he did and guaranteeing him a farewell series, but the following two test series (vs West Indies and New Zealand) got wasted having Smith as opener.

Yeah, 9 of Renshaw's 14 tests have been outside of Australia. At 29 though, he's still got time on his side and recently got selected to play the ODI series vs India.

As for what McSweeney and Konstas' chances of returning to the test team....who knows.

What is certain though is there's going to be a HUGE player turnover between now (the start of this 2025/26 Ashes) and the end of the 2027 Ashes tour, given the ages of the current test squad. George Bailey et al. play a very major role in this. The 2028 CA contract list is going to look vastly different from the current one.

 

[Chins]

Lil Davey would still make the side

 

[undertaker]

If you look at the current ages of the team today:

Khawaja (38, turning 39 next month)
Weatherald (31)
Labuschagne (31)
Smith (36)
Head (31, turning 32 next month)
Green (26)
Carey (34)
Starc (35)
Lyon (38)
Boland (36)
Doggett (31)

And those in the squad who didn't play today or who might take part in the remaining four Ashes tests:

Cummins (32)
Hazlewood (34)
Webster (31, turning 32 next month)
Neser (35)
Abbott (33)
Inglis (30)


Only one player in that list under 30.