Australia
England
Australia and England will move to the Gabba for the second Test of the Ashes 2025/26, and this match will arrive with both teams under pressure for different reasons. Australia will enter with a 1-0 lead after winning the Perth Test inside two days, a result driven by England’s batting collapse.
England will continue with their aggressive style, but it will face another major test in Brisbane, especially after losing an 8-wicket match despite leading by more than 100 runs with 9 wickets in hand on Day 2.
Australia will feel confident because they will have a strong pink-ball record and a dominant run at home. They will also come in with 4 straight Test wins. England will look for answers after winning only 1 of their last 5 Tests and going winless in their last 16 Tests in Australia. The last 5 head-to-head Tests show a tight contest, but conditions at the Gabba will favour the hosts again.
Australia are more likely to put up a stronger opening stand as Mitchell Starc’s pink-ball record makes him very likely to dismantle England’s top order batters at the Gabba.
The betting tip is...
Highest Opening Partnership - Australia
56 %
44 %
AustraliaEnglandAustralia will be confident after winning in Perth by 8 wickets despite being bowled out for 132 in the first innings. They will once again play without Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who will remain unavailable for this match and are expected to return later in the series.
Usman Khawaja will miss this Test due to injury, and Travis Head will move to the top of the order after leading Australia’s chase in Perth. Josh Inglis will slot into the middle order.
Steve Smith will lead the side and will come in with an average of 52.8 from his last 9 matches, scoring 792 runs. Head will carry strong recent form with 694 runs in his last 10 Tests at a strike rate of 85.04. Mitchell Starc will lead the attack again after taking a ten-wicket haul in Perth and will target more wickets after picking 43 in his last 10 matches and 81 in pink-ball Tests.
Head, Labuschagne and Smith are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett
England have one change to their XI as Will Jacks replaces the injured Mark Wood. This move will strengthen the batting line-up and add an extra spin option, but Wood’s pace will be missed.
England will still have Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer to provide the seam attack. The focus will be on playing smarter against the pink ball, especially with Mitchell Starc’s record.
Harry Brook will carry England’s strongest recent numbers with an average of 55.35 from his last 10 matches, scoring 941 runs at a strike rate of 86.72. He also hit the only half-century across the first 3 innings in Perth. Zak Crawley will look for his first run of the series, and Joe Root will target his first Ashes century in Australia.
Duckett, Brook and Root are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
Australia’s opening pair will have a good chance to set the tone of the match. England will struggle early because they will face Mitchell Starc under lights, and his pink-ball record will create pressure straightaway.
Starc has 81 wickets in 14 pink-ball Tests and took 10 wickets in Perth, including dismissing top England batters cheaply.
Australia’s bowlers will control the first hour, and England’s top order will need to survive Starc’s swing and pace. In contrast, Australia’s openers will walk out with confidence on a ground where they have a strong record. This difference in early stability will take the match in Australia’s favour.
