One of the greatest rivalries in cricket, Australia vs England, popularly known as The Ashes, is set to begin on Friday with the first match to be played in Birmingham. It is going to be a great chance for England to get the trophy back after being defeated last time in 2021-22 in Australia.
England has not won the Ashes after 2015 and they would like to end this drought this time at home. The hosts might have not reached the World Test Championship final this time, but their players played really well in this cycle, especially the batsmen. Now, the cricket inventors would like to start this WTC cycle with a win over the current winners.
On the other hand, Australian players are in England only after the WTC final against India. They must be now used to the pitches which will help them in the series.
Here’s the preview and prediction of the first Ashes Test:
What have they done so far?
The first Test match between England and Australia is set to take place at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. The pitch at Edgbaston is a batting-friendly surface though it also provides good pace and bounce for fast bowlers. Both sides would like to start this rivalry series with a win to gain confidence going forward. England would surely be having a home advantage whereas Australia is in the best of form after beating India at The Oval, London.
Earlier this year, the Baggy Greens lost the Tests series in India but made sure they would take revenge in London. On the other hand, England is coming with a huge victory against Ireland in the one-off Test, also they had a good Test series against New Zealand that ended 1-1.
Head to Head Record
The rivalry between England and Australia has been historic as both of them have played 356 Test matches to date. Out of which England won on 110 occasions whereas Australia became victorious 150 times. When it comes to the draw matches, 96 matches fall in this category.
England players celebrating after winning the 2005 Ashes at home
England is 40 matches behind Australia and they would want to come closer to this number in the coming years. It’s a good chance for them this time as the series is taking place in England.
Key Players
Steve Smith: Steve Smith is one of the modern greats and is widely regarded as one of the finest Test batsmen of this generation. He had a terrific WTC cycle of 2021-23 where he smashed over 1400 runs in just 20 matches. The right-handed batsman would like to continue his fine run against England as well as he likes to play in this country.
Steve Smith will be crucial for Australia in the upcoming Ashes series
With the kind of form he is in, Smith will once again be looking to add another big score to his name in Birmingham. Though he will have to face some greats in the form of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the Australian great has all the shots ready for them.
James Anderson: We do believe that the performance gets hampered as the age progresses but that’s not the case with this legend as James Anderson has been terrific in the past WTC cycle with 58 wickets in just 15 matches. He is currently 40 and is still bowling at his very best.
Winning the Ashes at home could be a dream of Anderson before calling off his game and this could only be possible if he will give his 100 per cent against the Aussies. The veteran from England has a great chance of ending things on a high note.
Predicted XIs
Australia: Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins ©, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Matthew Potts
Prediction
The prediction for the Ashes has been quite tough with both sides aiming to give their everything for the smallest yet iconic trophy in world cricket. This time the prestigious tournament is taking place in England, and it is going to be a great chance for them to win the Ashes after 8 years.
On the other hand, Australians are in tremendous form after winning the second cycle of the World Test Championship. With Cummins & team already there in England, they now must be aware of the conditions well. It’s a tough call to predict the winner of the first Test but England has a better chance due to home advantage.