Ashes 2025-26: With the Day-Night Gabba Test looming, should England alter their playing XI for better balance?
The highly anticipated opening Test match of the Ashes 2025/26 lived up to the expectations. Though the opening Test at Perth lasted for only two days, there was plenty of high-octane action, resulting in some enthralling cricket.
Travis Head stole the show in a contest where the ball dominated the bat in most of the game. Opening the batting for Australia in the second innings, Head single-handedly decimated the England bowling in a single session to help the hosts lead 1-0 in the five-match series.
Now the focus shifts to the Gabba in Brisbane where the sides lock in again for the second Test, this time a Day-night fixture starting on 4 December.
Read More: England’s best bowling combination for Ashes 2025-26
Will England make any changes to the XI following this loss?
Before going into the conclusion, let us analyse how the visitors performed in the first Test. Given the fact that 32 wickets were taken in just under two days of play, the surface at Perth proved to be tricky for the batters.
For England, barring Ollie Pope (46 & 33), who batted at No.3, none of the batters got starts in both innings. He was the only England batter who crossed 30 in both essays, without any significant contribution from others, except a quickfire 52 from Harry Brook in the first innings. However, Brook failed to score in the second innings when conditions were comparatively easier for batting.
While Ben Duckett got starts, he never looked settled, and the senior pros, Joe Root (0 & 8) and Ben Stokes (6 & 2), struggled throughout the game. Jamie Smith, who is usually reliable down the order, made only 48 across both innings.
Among the bowlers, Gus Atkinson contributed with the bat, adding some crucial runs down the order. On the whole, they failed to apply themselves as a batting unit.
Bowlers save England’s Day
In a game that was dominated by the bowlers, England bowlers did really well to restrict Australia to just 132, thereby gaining a crucial 40-run lead in the first innings. This performance was on the back of an inspired spell by skipper Ben Stokes, who took five wickets. Jofra Archer bowled couple of quick spells and so did Mark Wood. Brydon Carse had a good outing, taking five wickets in the game.
Read More: Travis Head’s 123 (83) helps Aus win Perth Test; Is this the best Ashes hundred in a chasing cause?
The final verdict
The answer to whether England will change the squad after the debacle in the first Test will still be a no. This is because England have largely played these top-7 batters, right through the home season and the same set of batters have scored runs in their own aggressive style. So, England won’t push the panic button just after one failure and they are still a formidable batting unit.
However they will want runs from their middle-order, the likes of Harry Brook, Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith. While Brook scored an eye-catching fifty, the rest of them failed miserably.
It is upto them to score big in conditions like Australia, where it gets better to bat as the ball gets old. Hence they would bank on their batting mainstays to come good and score a truckload of runs.
Read More: Starc’s ‘spell from hell’ sets the tone for Ashes 2025-26
