News Analysis
England and Australia Ashes squads compared: who edges it?
The age of the home side is a talking point, yet they remain hard-nosed; England arrive with free-scoring batters and a burst of genuine pace
We’re still a few weeks from the first ball in Perth, but with Australia naming a broader-than-usual party we now know the 30-odd players likely to square off. Home advantage versus an England camp that, for once, feels settled. Before anyone loosens a shoulder, how do the two groups measure up?
Top order
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Jacob Bethell
England’s top four travel with an unusual clarity of purpose. Three years of unbroken backing – and the freedom to attack – have left them sure of both roles and method. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have been Test cricket’s most productive opening pair since 2019. Crawley’s average still raises eyebrows, but Australians will remember the 189 at Old Trafford in 2023. Duckett, shorter of stature, must adjust to steeper bounce; how he does so could shape the series.
No. 3 remains the English talking point. Ollie Pope often begins tours brightly and, averaging just under 39 since 2022, is hardly a passenger. Stepping down as vice-captain would make it simpler to blood Jacob Bethell should England fancy a left-field tweak, yet that feels unlikely for the first Test.
Australia, oddly, are still working out their order even though the personnel are largely fixed. Debutant-in-waiting Jake Weatherald might allow Marnus Labuschagne to slide back to No. 3, his preferred spot. Labuschagne’s mountain of Shield runs helps, but Usman Khawaja’s lean run – possibly his last lap in Baggy Green – nags away. If Weatherald does play he’ll be Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since David Warner bowed out, which says plenty. Cameron Green could keep the No. 3 slot if he isn’t required as a full-time all-rounder; England won’t complain about that.
Verdict: England if the pitches are flat, Australia if they nibble or splice.
Middle order
Australia: Steven Smith, Travis Head
England: Joe Root, Harry Brook
Here sits the series’ power plant: two modern greats and two contemporary match-winners. Steven Smith’s record in Australia speaks for itself; Travis Head’s counter-punching stole the 2021-22 rubber. On England’s side Joe Root, currently the No. 1-ranked batter, still chases a maiden hundred down under – a quirk bordering on the bizarre. Harry Brook, meanwhile, swaggers in with a strike rate that bends field settings within an hour.
Smith admitted last week, “I feel like there’s a big one around the corner.” Root was typically understated: “If I stick to my routines the scores will come.” Head, never shy, reckoned Australia “can turn age into an advantage – we know our games.” England batting coach Marcus Trescothick offered the counter view: “Our lads play with fresh eyes, they’ll see scoring options others miss.”
Who wins this tussle? Too tight to call, but runs here could decide the urn.
Bowling stocks and depth (briefly)
Australia lean on the old firm of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, with Lance Morris lurking. England bank on the extra pace of Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson to complement James Anderson’s nous and Ollie Robinson’s seam. Much depends on who stays fit through five brutal Tests in seven weeks.
Final thought
On paper these squads are evenly matched. Australia own the scars and the local knowledge; England hold momentum from 2023’s drawn series and carry a batting line-up that refuses to back down. As ever, the Perth surface and that first morning will tell us far more than any preview can.
Either way, buckle up – but don’t be shocked if this Ashes hinges on small margins rather than headline-grabbing blows.
