2025-26 Ashes Series: The Biggest Talking Point

 

The 2025 cricketing year has gotten off with a bang, courtesy of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai. Headlines were made from the outset and throughout, kicked off by the early struggles of two perennial heavyweights.

The co-hosting Pakistanis faltered, losing their first two games before their third was rained off, so they suffered an early exit, much to the dismay of their adoring public in the grandstands. England, meanwhile – once the dominant force in white ball cricket and double world champions – lost all three of their group matches, one of which came against lowly Afghanistan.

For the English, however, the attention this year is on one series and one series only. The Ashes. The bookies and news providers give them perhaps a better shot at reigning supreme than their recent form suggests. The latest odds from the popular Bodog News and betting site prices them as a live +250 underdog, with the hosting Aussies a narrow -165 betting favorite. But with the first test in Perth beginning to loom large on the horizon, what are the biggest talking points ahead of cricket’s greatest long-form spectacle? Keep an eye on Bodog News to see what’s happening as it all unfolds.

Can England’s Bowlers Finally Break Through?

For nearly two decades, England’s fast-bowling arsenal was considered the finest on the planet. Both Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, with their 1,200 combined Test wickets, terrorized teams around the globe. But for all their brilliance, bowling in Australia was their kryptonite.

Yes, there were flashes of greatness—like Broad’s 6/81 in 2013—but consistency eluded them in the quicker, bouncier conditions. With both men more accustomed to overcast conditions and much softer pitches in England, they struggled to come to terms with the clear skies and dry pitches in the Land Down Under. Now, however, the veterans have hung up their boots, both bowing out of the international stage after glittering careers in the last couple of years.

Now, a new-look attack is ready to take over. Newcomer Gus Atkinson was named the English cricketer of the year in 2024 after a stunning breakthrough year, picking up a ten-wicket haul on his test debut, as well as dismantling New Zealand with a spellbinding hat-trick in a recent clash in the Land of the Long White Cloud. He has the raw tools but remains untested on this kind of stage. Will he thrive under the suffocating pressure of an Ashes series Down Under?

Mark Wood brings the fire. Clocking speeds consistently over 90 mph, he’s a bowler with the X-factor Australia will be wary of. His performances in the 2023 Ashes proved that when Wood clicks, he’s nearly unstoppable. But questions about his workload linger. Can he stay fit across a grueling five-test series?

And then there’s Archer. Once England’s great hope, injuries have kept the spotlight away from his undeniable talent. If fully fit, the Barbados-born star provides England with something they’ve lacked for years in Australia’s backyard—intimidation. His pace, bounce, and knack for producing magic moments could be the difference-maker. He took the fight to Steve Smith like no one else ever has back in 2019, and potentially seeing the two rematch in the mercurial batsman’s homeland is a tantalizing prospect.

But it won’t just fall to the quicks. Jack Leach returns as England’s lone spinner, carrying the hopes of exploiting any cracks in the pitches. Ultimately, though, it’s the seamers who will dictate whether England’s bowlers finally put the Aussies on the back foot. For now, potential abounds. But potential isn’t enough against Australia in their fortress-like home conditions.

How Much Do Australia’s Veterans Have Left in the Tank?

If experience is Australia’s trump card, age might be their Achilles’ heel. Heading into the upcoming series, the core of their side finds itself on the wrong side of 35. Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland have shared triumphant moments in the Baggy Green, forming the backbone of a world-dominant side.

Steve Smith will once again shoulder the burden of the batting lineup. While his technique might be unconventional, there’s no arguing with his numbers. The former captain boasts a career Ashes average north of 59, and his appetite for runs never wanes. But his 36th birthday looms, and he’s no longer the infallible engine room of years past.

For Usman Khawaja, it’s a similar story. The opener silenced doubters with an exceptional recent resurgence, re-establishing himself as one of Test cricket’s premier batters. But at 38, will his reflexes and powers of concentration endure another Ashes onslaught?

Australia’s bowlers face their own reckoning. Mitchell Starc has been dismantling batting lineups for what feels like an eternity, but he turns 36 mid-series, and those venomous inswinging yorkers could well lose their electricity. Nathan Lyon continues to add to his tally of over 450 wickets, but at 38, can even “the GOAT” maintain his legendary consistency? Then there’s cult hero Scott Boland, a star who burst onto the Test scene late in his career. He was one of the stars of the show in the recent victory against India, but he now faces the ultimate challenge of defying Father Time and proving he still belongs at 36.

The question hanging over all of them is this: Will they run out of steam? Australia’s veterans seek one last hurrah, but England’s younger, hungrier side may finally be ready to capitalize on any cracks that appear in their seemingly impenetrable armor.

Breaking the Duck

While the Barmy Army will head Down Under full of optimism, here is the cold, hard truth. Their team hasn’t won a single test on Australian soil in over 14 years, let alone a series. Their last triumph came in the fifth test of the successful 2010/11 series, when the likes of Alistair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, and Graham Swann led the tourists to victory. Of the 15 tests since then, England have lost 13 of them, drawing the other two.

If they are to make an impression this year, winning one of the first three tests is crucial. In their last three trips to their enemies’ backyard, England have been obliterated almost immediately, losing the first three test matches on each occasion and ending their hopes of regaining the Ashes with a whimper. Ensuring that history doesn’t repeat itself this year is the top priority, and picking up a victory in either Perth, Brisbane, or Adelaide – traditionally Aussie strongholds – is paramount.

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