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November 30, 2025 11:27 AM

England captain Ben Stokes dismisses ‘arrogant’ claims in lead-up to second Ashes test

England captain Ben Stokes dismissed claims his team were "arrogant" following their capitulation in the first Ashes test against Australia in Perth last week as preparations for the second game in the five-match series continued on Saturday. Stokes' team will face the Australians in Brisbane from Thursday, having suffered an eight-wicket defeat inside two days in the highly anticipated opener to the series, with the manner of the defeat prompting widespread criticism. "Call us rubbish, call u...

November 30, 2025 11:25 AM

England’s Mark Wood likely to miss second Ashes test due to sore knee

England pacer Mark Wood is likely to miss next week's second Ashes test against Australia due to a sore left knee, media reports said on Saturday. Wood, who was out for nine months when he underwent surgery for an injury on the same knee, played his first test since August 2024 in Perth last week, bowling 11 overs across both innings and taking no wickets as England suffered a swift eight-wicket loss inside two days. The 35-year-old told Fox Cricket during the first test that he would definite...

November 27, 2025 5:56 PM

Ashes pitch rated ‘very good’ after two-day test in Perth

The Perth Stadium pitch that saw Australia complete a thumping eight-wicket Ashes win inside two days over England has earned the International Cricket Council's (ICC) highest rating, Cricket Australia said on Thursday. The ICC match referee gave the surface a "very good" rating, denoting good carry, limited seam movement and consistent early bounce despite the rapid finish to the series-opener. "The match referee's 'very good' rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that pr...

November 27, 2025 5:56 PM

Travis Head worried about firing up England’s quicks during Ashes century

Australia's Ashes match-winner Travis Head said he was wary of inciting England's fast bowlers as he slogged his way to a stunning century in the first test in Perth. Head's brilliant 83-ball 123 as a makeshift opener in the second innings helped Australia seal an eight-wicket win in two days and give the hosts a 1-0 lead. He told Australian radio station Triple M on Thursday that he feared he might make the English bowlers angry with him too early in the five-test series. "I’m also very re...

November 18, 2025 10:37 AM

Lack of transition leaves Australia reliant on ageing Ashes team

Australia are favourites to retain the Ashes over the next two months but anything short of their usual dominance over England on home soil is sure to reignite the debate over the pace of transition to a younger generation. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Travis Head are all in their mid to late 30s and form the core of the team bidding to keep hold of the urn for another 18 months. It would be a surprise, however, if all seven were stil...

November 18, 2025 10:35 AM

Fearless England ready to shake off weight of failure

Recent history will weigh heavily on the shoulders of England's players when they take the field in Perth on Friday seeking to end a lamentable run of Ashes failure in Australia. They have lost 13 of their previous 15 test matches Down Under, drawing the other two, and you must go all the way back to 2011 for the last England victory. Confident noises are coming out of England's camp, though, and whether or not Brendon McCullum's side can turn the tide, one thing is for sure, the touring side ...

November 16, 2025 4:01 PM

Australia hit with injury blow as Hazlewood ruled out of Ashes opener

Australia have suffered another blow ahead of the Ashes opener against England after fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was ruled out due to a hamstring injury on Saturday, further weakening their bowling attack after the loss of captain Pat Cummins. Hazlewood went to hospital for scans on a possible hamstring injury during a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, but was initially cleared of a strain and was set to travel to Perth for the first Ashes test. However, later tests conf...

November 7, 2025 12:03 PM

India all-rounder Shivam Dube credits team backing for bowling improvement

India all-rounder Shivam Dube said the backing he received from team management had helped him develop into a utility bowler, with the 32-year-old repaying their faith in him by helping the tourists to victory in Thursday's T20 against Australia. Dube earned his place in the squad primarily because of his six-hitting prowess but it was his medium pace which did the damage on the Gold Coast where he claimed the prized wickets of rival captain Mitchell Marsh and danger man Tim David. India trium...

November 7, 2025 10:58 AM

Fourth T20I: Team India spin way to dominant win over Australia on Gold Coast

India's spinners took six wickets in a stunning fight back to rout Australia by 48 runs in the fourth T20I on the Gold Coast on Thursday. India will take a 2-1 series lead into the fifth and final match in Brisbane on Saturday after skittling Australia for 119 in their chase of 167 for eight. Bowling for the first time in the series, Washington Sundar took 3-3 in 1.2 overs while fellow all-rounder Axar Patel had 2-20 as Australia lost their last nine wickets for 52 runs at Carrara stadium. Au...

November 6, 2025 1:27 PM

Australia captain Pat Cummins targets return in second Ashes test

Australia captain Pat Cummins is back bowling multiple overs on a reduced run-up and has targeted returning to the team for the second Ashes test against England, a day-nighter in Brisbane starting on December 4. The fast bowler has been sidelined by a lower-back issue since July and has already been ruled out of the series opener in Perth, where he will be replaced as skipper by Steve Smith. Scott Boland is expected to step in for the 32-year-old in the pace attack in Perth but Cummins said h...