The Ashes is finally here!

Take an in-depth look at each of the players in the Australian and England squads for the Ashes, and find out where the series is going to be won and lost.

Plus, I give my predictions as to how this Ashes series is going to play out, including the score line, player of the series and will Joe Root make a 100.

Thank you for listening! Be sure to follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and/or Instagram.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:03

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Ashes to Ashes podcast where we delve into everything related to the Australian and England cricket teams, both men's and women's, as they gear up for another Ashes campaign, and they're always gearing up for an Ashes campaign. I'm your host, NewsQuest journalist and avid cricket fan, Patrick Glover, and we are just hours away from the first Ashes test. All very exciting. So in today's episode, we're going to take a deep dive into the upcoming Ashes series down under, have a in-depth look at the teams and go through a few predictions for the upcoming series. But before we kick things off, just a quick reminder to give us a follow and a rating wherever you listen to your podcast, whether it be on the likes of Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music. So after what feels like a lifetime of back and forth between current and former England and Australian players and speculation about the makeup of the teams, the Ashes is finally here, and the sides are just about locked in. Australia have confirmed their test 11. Well, England have whittled down their touring squad to just 12 ahead of the first test, which, as I say, kicks off in a matter of hours over in Perth Stadium. So we're going to start today's episode by taking a look at the Australian squad and team for the first test. So Steve Smith announced in a press conference on Thursday, Australian time, the starting Australian 11, which we'll be taking to the field in Perth on Friday. So that will be Usman Kowaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labershain, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Stark, Brendan Doggett, Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland. So a very solid 11 there. And missing out is Bo Webster, Josh Inglis, and Michael Nieser, while Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins have been ruled out due to injury. So it's been quite the lead up to this Ashes series for the Aussies. There's been a lot of speculation about the the top order and who would open the batting. Obviously, it was it was Usman Kawazrin and Sam Constas, who a lot thought would probably open the batting for Australia at the start of the summer, which hasn't turned out to be the case. And then in the end, in the weeks leading up to the first Ashes test, it's been a question of Australia's bowling depth, as Pat Cummins was was ruled out first with a back injury, and then Josh Hazelwood succumbing to a hamstring injury, which he picked up in round four of the Sheffield Shield. So we've got two debutants in that team. So Jake Weatherold slots in at the top of the order to open with Usman Kawaja, and we've also got Brendan Doggart who will make his debut as well. We're going to take a look through the Aussie team here, player by player. So we're going to start with Usman Kawaja. His numbers have been in decline over the past sort of year or so. He had a really good year a couple of years ago where he was named ICC Test Player of the Year, and since then hasn't quite been able to capture that form again. So could this potentially be his last Test Series? Could he be angling for a potential retirement at the back end of the Ashes? We've seen him struggle with the pace of Mark Wood in previous Ashes series, especially in 2023 over in England. Will he struggle again with the pace of Archer and Wood? We saw him quite susceptible to nickoffs over in the West Indies on those pace-friendly decks over there. So I dare say the English will have done their homework and will probably be targeting Usman in those kind of areas again. But in saying that, we we all know what Uzzy is capable of, and he did peel off a double ton in Sri Lanka earlier this year and has had a a reasonable start to the the Aussie summer so far in the Sheffield Shield with Queensland with scores of 69, 46, 0, and 87 in three Shield matches. So he is coming into this first test in some decent form. He did miss the final Sheffield Shield round due to soreness, but is set to be right for this first test. He will be joined at the top of the order by newcomer Jake Weatherald, who has earned his call up to the Aussie side after a 900-plus run season in Sheffield Shield last year, uh, which saw him top the run scorers list there. He's had fantastic performances for Australia over the Aussie winter as well against Sri Lanka Ray. And his early season form so far this summer, which included three fifties, one of which was a big 94, has him in good stead and ready to go for this first Ashes test over in Perth. It's always good to see some fresh blood in the Aussie team, but this particularly is a great story with Jake Weatherall nearly giving the game away just a few seasons ago. So to turn that around and to now be playing in the opening test match of an Ashes summer is fantastic. So I think him and Uzi are going to work really well together. I've spoken about this before, and and you've seen Uzi flourish with a partner like David Warner in the past, where where the batsman down the other end is being aggressive and taking on the bowlers and and ticking over the scoreboard, and and that just means that Uzi can go about his work. So hopefully, whether or it's aggressive nature, hopefully he can make some runs and and take a little bit of pressure off of uh Uzman at the the top of the order. Great to see Marus Labershain back in some form and and back in the Aussie team. We know that he's struggled a little bit on the international circuit of late. He got dropped from the Australian side recently for the West Indies tour, but he's gone away, worked on his game, and and boy, has he's he done something special. He's he's absolutely smashed the door down at the start of this summer. He's he scored a total of 740 runs already for Queensland across Shield and the One Day Cup competitions, including five hundreds. So great to see him back in some form and back in the Aussie side. Number three is such an important part in any batting lineup, and without him in recent times, the the Aussie batting lineups looked a little bit unsettled. So hopefully he can recapture that form, which saw him top the ICC test batting rankings a couple of years ago. Hopefully he can get back into that form and have a really good summer in this upcoming Ashes series. You've then got Steve Smith coming in at number four, and I think we can look for a big Ashes series from Steve Smith. He returned from a stint in America recently and looking very much refreshed and ready to go. In the two shield games that he's played for New South Wales, he's peeled off 10250. So he looks like he's in that run-scoring bubble. You see Steve Smith when he's making all those random movements at the crease, and he just it looks like he's in his own little world, but it it can be when he's in though when he's in that zone, it can be really hard to remove him from. So great signs for the the Aussies there. Plus, he's gonna take over the role as captain in at least the first test with with Patty Cummins missing out due to that back injury, and that's a role that he loves and thrives in. He's got a better batting average as captain of Australia than he does when he's not captain. So I'm I'm picking him to be the player of the series, this Ashes, and to lead the run scoring in that series as well. We've got Travis Head coming in at five. He's probably not had the start to the summer that he would have liked. That's across the white ball sides for Australia against India, and then also a couple of shield gains for South Australia as well. But we know how dangerous he can be, and I think he's he's definitely gonna come into this Ashes series and break the shackles. I think you can just about pencil him in for 100 in Adelaide. He scored 100 in his hometown for the last couple of Test series down under for Australia, and I expect him to do it again, uh, plus in other venues as well. I I think he's gonna be one of the leading run scorers for this Ashes campaign. England have deployed a short ball tactic against him previously in the last Ashes series in 2023, as he was susceptible to the short ball, but I think since then he's come a long way, his game's developed, and he's he's a different batsman um to what he was then. So it'll be interesting to see if the England bowlers, having picked an out-and-out pace attack, whether they go with a similar kind of tactic for for Head. And I think that that may potentially backfire, and as I say, could could lead to a fruitful summer for Travis Head. Now, the number six position, there has been plenty of talk about it over the past couple of weeks, whether it's Cameron Green or Bo Webster, and Steve Smith has now confirmed that Cameron Green has got the nod over Bo Webster. So unlucky, I think, for Webster. He's been fantastic over the past 12 months since coming in to the Australian setup against India last summer. He's got Australia out of some tricky situations with the bat and also chipped in with the ball when needed as well. He's just one of those players that's because he's bidled his time for so long in first class cricket, he's come into the Australian setup, very confident of his own game. He knows it inside out. He was fresh off an eight-wick haul for Tazzy in round four of Sheffield Shield, but Aussie's selectors have obviously gone for Cameron Green, and we know what he can do. He's he's obviously been on the comeback trail from an injury. He featured in the West Indies series, but only as a batter. He returned to the bowling crease for WA in the most recent Shield game and looks really dangerous with the ball. And not only that, he also finished with a 94 for WA against Queensland as well. So he looks like he's he's building nicely back into cricket and is starting to peak at the right time ahead of a Big Ashes series. I think Aussie selectors obviously see him as the future uh of the test team and and so want to get him in. We know what he's capable of with the bat and ball as well. I think with the ball, hopefully he's only gonna be needed sort of sparingly in short bursts. So I think that's probably something to take into consideration is he's not gonna have a heavy bowling load. So although he sort of only bowled for WA in the last round of shield cricket, he's not gonna have a major load to take on come the test series, hopefully, while he's batting. He had a really good T-20 series versus the West Indies, where he scored 350s and then had a fantastic one-day series against South Africa when they return when Australia returned home earlier this summer, where he scored 100. So I think he's, as I say, he's just starting to build back into his cricket and hopefully peaking at the right time, ready for a big Ashes series. You've then got Alex Carey coming in at seven. He's been arguably one of the best keepers in Test cricket over the past few years, which was highlighted by his selection and the ICC's men's test team of the year back in 2023. His glove work is high quality, his work rate is second to none, and his batting in the past 12 months has gone to another level. He just looks like he's more confident in his own game. I think when he first came into the Australian setup, he was a little caught between sort of two minds. He's he is naturally a very aggressive batsman, and I think he was sort of stuck between trying to occupy the crease and and also playing his own sort of attacking game. But I think he's worked that out now. He's found that balance and and has got that freedom to just go about his game the way he wants to, and and that's seen him really flourish in, as I say, in the last 12 months at least. He's now a vital cog in that Aussie batting lineup. He can help Australia out in tough situations, he can make gritty runs when he needs to, while he also plays an important role batting with the tail, making sort of some back-end runs there as well. So I think we can expect a big Ashes series from Kaz. So definitely one to watch throughout this series. Mitchell Stark, he's gonna have a big role to play in this Ashes series, especially in the absence of Patty Cummins and Josh Hazelwood early on. I think Starkey seems to be getting better with age. He he just seems to be playing some outstanding test cricket at the moment. We've obviously seen how dangerous he can be in the white ball game over the years, and he's been good in the test arena, but I think he's just kicked it up a gear in the last sort of couple of years, and and that's highlighted but by figures of six for nine from 7.3 overs in his most recent outing against the West Indies, where he was virtually unplayable. In a recent interview, he said he's just starting to build back into the rhythm again after after some white ball cricket and some time away from the game. So I think once it clicks, he's gonna be really dangerous. And I don't think that's gonna be too far away. So expect some big things from him in this Ashes series and definitely watch for him to clean up with the pink ball in the day-night test up in Brisbane as well. Nathan Lyon, the other stallwell of that Aussie bowling lineup, he was dropped from the Aussie side for their most recent test over in the West Indies when they opted to go with an all-out pace battery. But he's gonna have a point to prove this summer, I think. Off the back of being dropped, and then last summer against India, he didn't really play much of a part due to the wickets being a little bit more friendly for the faster bowlers. But writing Nathan Lyon off at your peril, he is gonna be a big part in this series against England. I think the Poms are definitely gonna look to target him with their attacking style of cricket in the hope of forcing the Aussie quicks to come back sooner and having to bowl more spells, but I think that's gonna play right into Nathan Lyon and the Aussie's hands. I also expect him to have the number of the likes of Ben Stokes and Harry Brooke who have shown that they can be susceptible to spin as well. So I think Nathan Lyon's gonna be up there as one of the leading wicket takers for the tournament. He's got a really good record in Perth, and yeah, I think we're gonna see a big series from him coming up. Scotty Bolin as well. I think this is his breakout series. We've we've obviously seen what he can do. He is a fantastic bowler, but has just been stuck as the fourth string behind obviously the three big quicks in Cummins, Hazelwood, and Stark. But this is this is gonna be Scotty Bolin's series. I can feel it. He's obviously gonna get first crack with Cummins and Hazelwood both out injured, and England are uh are gonna go after him. You you listen to them speak in the lead up, and they're gonna take some confidence having gone after him in the in the 2023 Ashes, and and they got they got to him a little bit, but that was in very different conditions, and and Scott Boland has come a long way since then, so I think he's gonna cause some some carnage in this series and take wickets of fun and and he's gonna finish the series as the leading wicket taker. Then to round out that 11, you've got Brendan Doggett, who gets his chance at the expense of Josh Hazlewood, who's been ruled out due to a hamstring injury. But a well-deserved call-up for Brendan Doggett. He has been in and around the Aussie squad for a while now. Um, but like Scott Boland has sort of been stuck behind the generational bowling lineup of Cummins, Hazlewood, Stark, and Lyon. Plus, injuries have obviously played their part as well for Doggett and sort of kept him out. He's he's almost just got injured at the wrong times. He's he's been there or thereabouts, but then just got injured at the wrong times. But he's definitely ready to go. He's taken 13 wickets in two games this Shield season so far, including two Fifers, and that was after a standout 2024-25 campaign, which included Matt of the match honors in the final, where he took 11 wickets. He's performed well for Australia Ray when he's been given the opportunities, and I think he's gonna do some damage this series. With his pace and the ability he has to move the ball, I think that's gonna cause some issues for England. We've heard Brendan McCullum come out after the the most recent white ball series over in New Zealand and say that the English batters have have struggled when there's been challenging conditions, whether it be spin, swing, or seam. So Brendan Doggett offers both swing and seam movements. England are gonna come into this first test with their their basball mentality thinking, oh, we're gonna be all over this bowling lineup with no Hazelwood, no Cummins and and a debuton and go after them. But I think that could work against them. So expect to see Doggott take more than a few wickets in this first test, I reckon. Then the rest of that squad, you've got Josh Inglis and Michael Nissa who miss out along with Bo Webster. Uh Inglis, I wouldn't have thought you'll see him play much. He's he's mainly in there as cover for any of the middle order batsmen or or Kez if if they go down throughout the series. And and likewise Nissa, he's been called up as cover once Hazel were dropped out. Nissa, especially, will probably drop out of that squad. I expect Cummins to come back in the next test. We've seen videos and pictures of him bowling pretty much full tilt in the Perth net. So expect Patty Cummins to be there or thereabouts for the the second test up in Brisbane. Nissa has obviously been in fantastic form at shield level, not just this season, but last season as well. And and we've seen what he can do with Aussie Colours in the past. So if he's called upon, he will know he'll do a job. But expect that squad to chop and change probably as the series goes on. As I say, Patty Cummins will come back in at some stage, definitely. It's still unsure as to how bad Josh Hazlewood's injury is, but I expect to probably see him again at some point. Maddie Renshaw is the other one that I wouldn't be surprised if if we saw him come into the squad at some point throughout the series. He scored two hundreds at shield level already this season and and made his one-day debut for Australia against India, which included his maiden fifty. So I wouldn't be surprised if he comes in at some point as well. I think what this squad shows is is that there is plenty of depth in this Australian setup. Obviously, injuries to key players like Hazelwood and Cummins on the eve of an Ashes series isn't ideal, but when you've got guys like Scott Bolin and Brendan Doggett who can come in to cover who will do just as good a job is fantastic. And and similarly with the batting, there was an issue at the top of the order, and and then you've got Weatherald and Marness who have have smashed the door down with uh a pure weight of runs at shield level and have come in or come back into that setup in some fantastic form. So all of a sudden, from what looked like a a bit of a shaky sort of Aussie top order, looks like quite a solid one, throwing Weatherold in, who's a genuine opener at the top of the order, and then an inform Marnus back at three, and then Cameron Green obviously back at full fitness in at six, slotting in with the likes of Kowaja, Smith, and Head, and then obviously Carey rounding that out as well. It it actually looks quite a solid batting lineup there now. And and bowling stocks wise, you've obviously you know what you're gonna get from from Stark and Lyne, and then Boland as well has been fantastic when he's got the opportunity, and and Doggart as well was has more than earned his spot in that side. So I think that's quite a stable Aussie lineup going into that first test. We now turn our attention to the England side. Now they haven't announced an 11, but they have whittled their squad down to 12. So that 12 is Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Brooke, Stokes, Smith, Atkinson, Archer, Cass, Wood, and Bashir. And obviously the 11 will be announced at the toss. So pretty settled side there. Obviously, not many changes from the last test against India, apart from Stokes coming back into the setup after he's recovered from injury. And then that last spot in that side will be between Carson and Bashir, but we'll go into that in in a minute. So we'll take a look through this side. So we'll start with Ben Duckett at the top of the order. He's gonna be one of the he's gonna be one of three key wickets for Australia, along with Root and Brooke. He's been in fantastic form of late and is very destructive at the top of the order and and can put opposition teams on the back foot from the word go. Despite sort of question marks around Crawley, him and Duckett at the top of the order are a fantastic pair and and offer that sort of counterpunch against opening bowlers with with a new ball. I think Australian conditions will probably suit Ben Duckett, along with a lot of the other English batsmen in their aggressive style of game. He didn't have a great one-day international series against New Zealand in the lead up, only scoring a total of 11 runs from three outings, but he did score 92 in the first innings against the English Lions in their warm-up match. So I expect him to sort of be around one of the lead run scorers for this Ashes series. Zach Crawley, obviously Ben Duckett's partner in crime at the top of the order, has started his tour down under well with 82 in the warm-up match against the Lions. But there's been a lot of question marks over his spot in the side recently. While he's got the potential to be very destructive at the top of the order, he hasn't scored a hundred apart from one against Zimbabwe at the start of the summer, but he hasn't scored a hundred against one of the big nations since the last Asher series back in 2023. So that's two years ago, and they've played a lot of Test cricket since then. So there's a lot of pressure on his spot, especially when you've got someone like Haseeb Hamid who's bashing the door down at county championship level. I know that England selectors don't necessarily look at form in in the county championship as a way of selecting the team, but after a while they're gonna have to sit back and look at those numbers if he keeps putting the numbers up that he has. And he's played Test cricket before, so it's almost a pivotal series for Crawley here. And and especially if if this series doesn't go England's way, there could be a potential for change at the top in management as well, if if this series doesn't go England's way, which could work against Crawley. You've got Ollie Pope coming in at three. Uh, there's also been question marks around his spot in the team of late. He was dropped from the vice captain's role ahead of this Ashes tour, and there's been calls for Jacob Bethel's inclusion into the England side at Pope's expense, but Pope seems to have silenced critics with a ton and 90 in the warm-up game against the Lions. So we'll keep Bethel at bay for now. He is a fantastic batsmanolly Pope, and and he can score some big and important hundreds for England and has done in the past, but I think with him it can be all or nothing. He either scores a big hundred or or a low score. So I think we can expect some some big scores from from Pope in this Ashes series, but at the same time he has a tendency to drop off as series go on. So it'd be interesting to see if he can keep his form up throughout the entire summer and keep Bethel out of that side. You've got Joe Root then coming in at number four, one of the best batsmen to ever play the game and the second leading run scorer of all time at Test level. But yet, despite these accolades and despite him being one of the best, he still comes to Australia with a points approved, having never scored a hundred down under, which is which is unheard of. You go back through history and you look at all the the top batsmen, so you'd such and tandukas, Brian Lara, Jacques Callis, all those kind of guys, there was you always knew that wherever they were going on tour, they're like, oh, that he's the best batsman, he is the key wicket. And and while Joe Joe Root will be the key wicket or one of for Australia this summer, there's still a lot of chat about him coming into this series, which is quite unusual for someone of his calibre, but it's because he hasn't scored a hundred down under. This may be the last chance he gets. He's not getting any younger, um, so it could be the last chance he has to score a hundred in Australia. Be interesting to see if that plays a part in his thinking, whether it gets into his head, if he he hasn't scored a hundred within the first sort of couple of tests, it'll it will then become even bigger. So if he can make a ton in this first test in Perth, it's gonna be better for England because it'll put his mind at ease. There'll be no questions about it anymore, and he can just crack on with the series and bat the way he needs to. But if he doesn't, and the longer that it goes on, the more noise that's gonna come out surrounding it. So he's still gonna be a really important part for England and and will be a key wicket for Australia, but obviously still a lot of noise around Joe Root coming into this first test in Perth. The other key wicket for Australia is gonna be Harry Brooke. I am expecting big things from him this summer. The quicker and bouncier decks over in Australia, I think, are gonna suit his aggressive game style. Plus, the number two Test batsman in the world has been in some top form of late. He's coming off 299 versus India in the UK summer, plus a mammoth 317 versus Pakistan just 12 months ago. So expect him to be one of the leading run scorers for this Ashes series. You've then got Ben Stokes, England's fearless leader. He's just he's gonna lead from the front again. You can just see at this Ashes series, both with the bat and the ball. He loves playing against Australia and loves playing in the big moments. So expect him to be a key pillar in England's side this summer. He's been working hard in the Nets recently to make sure that he's Cherry Wright for the Ashes after coming off an injury which saw him miss the back end of the India series. He seems to have worked back into some form nicely, having taken six for and made 77 in the warm-up game against the Lions. The only problem he's gonna have, and the biggest weakness that he has is not knowing when to stop and trying to take too much on. As I say, he he missed the back end of the India series because he pushed his body too far and broke down because he was bowling too many overs. And I can see him doing the same thing in this Ashes series, obviously a a bigger series in in the grand scheme of things, and and with all the planning that's gone into this series, I think he'll be trying to push his body as as far as it can go. And and if if the the other England quicks break down, you've obviously got Archer and Wood, who we'll get to in a second, who haven't played much test cricket recently. If if they can't get the job done and are only bowling shorter loads, it it's gonna mean that Stokes is gonna have to bowl more overs. So more strain on the on his body. So I I've I foresee him at least not playing one game in this series, but we'll uh yeah, we'll wait and see. Moving on to the English wicket keeper, Jamie Smith, who is an exciting young wicket keeper batsman, who I think will enjoy playing in Aussie conditions. I think he he may find it difficult early against the the Aussie bowlers. He he's never faced them before, and and they're obviously going to be quite tough in in home conditions. But in his 15 test career so far, he's already amassed 1,075 runs at an average of 48. That includes 200. So he'll definitely be one to watch this season. And I think he's he's gonna play an important part because if Aussies can rip through that English top order quite quickly, which is a very high possibility with the higher risk game that they play, he's gonna have to make some important runs and and bat with the tail and get England to to a semi-defendable total. Moving on to the English bowlers, you've got Atkinson, Archer, Wood, Cass, and Bashir round out the bowling attack for that opening test or the the 12 for the opening test anyway. So Atkinson has proven that he has what it takes with the ball at international level and is definitely more than handy with the bat. He took 12 wickets on debut against the West Indies last summer, which included seven and five wicket hauls, and then he took an eight-wicket haul against India in the last test, which was his only of the most recent summer after missing the first four due to injury. He's also got a Test Century to his name, having scored 118 in just his fifth test versus Sri Lanka. So he'll definitely be one to watch this summer, and he's my pick to be England's leading wicket taker for the Ashes series. Joffrey Archer, he's just a one of the most talked about players probably in the England side over the last six years. He's going to be England's weapon with the ball this summer. There's no way about it. But if he can stay fit, he's only played fifteen tests since he burst onto the international test scene during. In the 2019 Ashes, and England have been managing him through injury after injury after injury, and I think it's it's been building for this test series. They've wanted him ready for the next Ashes series, and and here we are, and he's he's ready. So Kudos, their their management has worked, but is he gonna be able to make it through the entire Ashes series? And how much of a role is he gonna play? We obviously know that he's gonna be dangerous, and especially with his pace in Aussie conditions, he's he's gonna be more than a handful for the Australian batters, but they're gonna have to manage him much better than they did in 2019. They're gonna have to bowl him in in short spells. And will he be able to play every test? I can't see him playing all five, but for England to have any chance of winning, he needs to play at least three, and he needs to play at least the first couple. So wait and see how that goes. And then Mark Woods, the other one, he hasn't played test cricket in over 12 months, is very injury prone. Yes, he's he's very sharp and he's gonna cause some headaches for the Aussie batsmen. The proposition of having Archon and Wood open the bowling together in Australian conditions is a very scary one for the Australians and one that England fans will be very excited to see. But it's just gonna be if Mark Wood can stay on the park. He's he's been in full flight in the Nets in Perth this week, but that comes after an injury scare during the warm-up match. He only bowled eight overs in that warm-up game and then had to go for scans because of uh hamstring tightness. So bowling in the Nets is one thing, but bowling in a game and and backing it up for five days is another. I I just can't see Mark Wood playing a massive part in this series. Again, I I can't see him playing any more than three tests, they're gonna have to manage both him and Archer through this series. That's the the thing for me that sort of separates these two teams. Although the Australia have had to sort of dip into their their bowling stocks a little bit with the with injuries to Hazelwood and and Cummins, they've got guys that can come in and do a job and and Cummins and Hazelwood will slot back in at some point. But if there was no injuries, if they were injury free, you could guarantee that those four bowlers would make it through an entire test series without having to change. Whereas England and they've done it before last Ashes series when they came down under, they were managing Broad and Anderson and sort of chopping and changing when they played, and oh, we can't play him here, we can't play him there. And and that worked against them. You've got to go into a series with a bowling lineup that you can be a hundred percent confident about. You can't go, oh, he can play one test here and then might have to miss the next two because he's injured. And and I know India do it with someone like Boomer, but we know how good Boomer is, and he's been a proven performer over over time. Whereas Archer and Wood are have just proven they're far too injury prone, and and I'd be concerned if I was an English supporter and part of the England team about Mark Wood's durability. There's every chance he'll he'll get halfway through this first test and break down and and then not be available for the rest of the Ashes series, or at least sort of a couple of games, and then by that stage the Ashes series is already over, so it's a baffling one for me. But again, he's a fantastic bowler and will cause headaches if he's up and about. So you obviously want the best players to be playing in these kind of series, so you hope that both Archer and Wood can make it through and can play a big part, but there's just big question marks for me over those two. Then you've got Shoe Bashir, the the 22-year-old that's pretty much been plucked from obscurity two years ago by England coaches and selectors, and pretty much uh as a precursor to this series, they've been moulding him ready for this Ashes series down under, hoping that his high and bounce would would work well in Aussie conditions. And then having gone out of their way to do this, we're now just a few hours out from the first test, and he might not even be in the side. So this is the baffling thing about the English squad. They just go out of left field to pick these players, they don't go off form. As I said before, you've got Haseeb Hamid who is bashing the door down at County Championship level with with a barrage of runs, but yet can't get on the on the the Aussie tour. You've got guys like Jack Leach and and Tom Hartley who have fallen by the wayside over the past couple of years because they've preferred Bashir because, as I said, they've been sculpting him ready for this Ashes series, and then building on this Bas Ball mentality, they've gone with the likes of Will Jacks uh as a backup spinner for this Ashes series, rather than going with someone in form like Raheem Ahmed. So it it it just baffles me, but obviously that's the way that they go about it. And look, if if England win this series, then it's a master stroke. But as I said on last week's episode, they're building themselves up for a big fall. If if England get absolutely hammered in this series, which I'm expecting to be, there's gonna be big questions asked come the end of this series. The McCullum and Bas Ball era has been building for this series. If they fail, then what's next? Anyway, I digress. Uh Shoei Bashir. He's he's shown that he can take wickets, he's taken 68 in 19 matches, but in between that, he's been absolutely whacked. And and I feel that Australia, if he does play, Australia are gonna target him, and he's gonna cop some tap in in Australian conditions. So it'll be interesting to see how much of a part he plays in this series, whether England ought to go for an all-out pace barrage and and then unleash Joe Root as their spinner. That's what they look like they were angling towards in that warm-up match, but we'll we'll wait and see. Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket taker in in Test cricket at Perth Stadium. So off the back of that, you'd go with Bashir, but at the same time, I there'd there'd be too many question marks of me around his ability can to contain the Australian batsman. In saying that, the other option they've got Bryden Cass, he's still relatively new to Test cricket, despite having been a part of England's white ball setup since 2021. He's only played nine tests. He had a really good series against New Zealand at the back end of last year, where he took a ten wicket haul in one of the games, which included a six foot, but since then hasn't really put any sort of big numbers on the board. In the the five games that he played against India over the British summer, he only snagged nine wickets, which included a wicketless game in in the last match. So again, this this bowling lineup is very one-dimensional. They've gone with out and out speed, and and you can see this is what they've been building for over the past couple of years. They've gone away from guys like yeah, yeah, Stuart Broads, yeah, Chris Wokes, yeah, Jimmy Anderson, who don't necessarily bowl as quick but move the ball, which hasn't been in years gone by, hasn't played as much of a part in Australian conditions. So they've flipped it on its head and gone for airspeed. But now Aussie Dex are doing a little bit more. So you need someone that can do a little bit with the ball. You need someone like a a Brendan Doggett or a Scott Boland who can move the ball but has airspeed as well. And I think the England bowling lineup as it stands is is just very one-dimensional with just the airspeed they've they've got. And don't get me wrong, they're they'll they will be dangerous and they are quick and quite scary. But again, one-dimensional. Outside of those guys, you've got Josh Tung, Jacob Bethel, and Will Jax who are in reserve there, all of which I dare say will feature in this English side at some point throughout the Ashes series. Jacob Bethel is has obviously been labelled a generational player, and and I feel like they're gonna make a spot for him at some point, and especially if the the top order's not making the runs that they're hoping they'll find a spot for him in there at some place. Will Jacks as well had a a decent warm-up game playing for the English Lions. He made some runs, he scored 87 in the in the first innings and took some wickets as well. So he could be another option as sort of a second spinner. If they want to go a spinner as and then add a bit of batting depth, they could pick him instead of Bashir and instead of Cass as well. And Josh Tung's obviously going to come into play at some point as a replacement for Mark Wood, Archer, or Cass, as I say, at some point throughout the series. So I expect to see England dip into their full squad throughout this Ashes series. So rounding up that side, their batting depth is is very strong, as I say. They've got some really destructive batters and they've got guys like Jacob Bethel and Will Jacks waiting in the wings that can come in and be just as destructive. But it can also be one of their weaknesses as well. They're obviously their aggressive style of of batting can can play into opposition hands, and and when they play on decks that that are seeming or or swinging or doing a little bit, I think they can come undone. So I can ex I think you can expect a few of these tests to not last much longer than three days. Their bowling's their big weak point for me. I think it while it has the potential to be very dangerous, there's just too many question marks about the fitness of that side. It's gonna be an ongoing question and an ongoing issue throughout the series. And as I say, it it is very one-dimensional. They've gone with with guys that are out and out airspeed rather than guys that can move the ball, apart from maybe Josh Tung, who can who can move a little bit. So it's prediction time now. So we've had an in-depth look at each of the sides, and and now it's time to have a look at how this Ashes series is going to unfold. So for me, the score line is gonna be a 3-1 in favour of Australia. I reckon there's gonna be a washout somewhere, whether it be in Sydney or Brisbane. Yeah, Australia are just gonna be too good in home conditions, despite early concerns about their batting. The lineup is now probably more informed than England at this point. And you've still got guys like Bo Webster and Maddie Renshaw who are waiting in the wings, Josh Inglis as well, if need be. So there's there's pressure for spots in that side, and you've still got guys like Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins to come back throughout that series as well. While question marks still remain for me over the England bowlers and how long they can stay on the park for throughout the series, and the buzzball mentality and style of of cricket that they're gonna play, I think is just gonna play in into the Aussie hands, and um they're gonna there's gonna be some low scores posted by the English team throughout this summer. I can I can foresee. Player of this series for me is gonna be Steve Smith, um, and he's also gonna be the leading run scorer. He just looks, he's he's in that bubble again, and he looks comfortable. He he looks like he's ready for a big series, and as I say, he's gonna step into that captaincy role for at least the first test, and and that's a role that he flourishes in. I I think we can expect to see some big things and some big numbers from Steve Smith this summer. So definitely one to keep an eye on. The leading wicket taker I've got as Scott Boland. I think he's gonna have a breakout summer for the Aussies this season with no Hazelwood, no Cummins to start the the series, and obviously they'll need to be managed as well as the series goes on. If if they've still got those niggling injuries, Scott Boland's gonna become quite a crucial cog in that bowling lineup and along with with Mitchell Stark as well. But I think Scott Boland has shown what he can do with the ball and and is gonna be dangerous in in this Ashes series. Will Joe Root score a hundred? No, I don't think he will. I think there's there's a lot of pressure on him to score a hundred, and it it's gonna be it's gonna be mentally draining for him, I think, more than anything, but I think just that his game I just don't think suits Australian conditions and I think if he if he doesn't make a hundred in the opening test in Perth, uh Patty Cummins as his number, and once he comes back into the side, it's it's gonna be even harder. So I don't think Joe Root will make a hundred this summer. Some headlines to look out for as the summer goes on. Welcome back, Pat. I think we'll obviously see Pat Cummins while he is missing this first test in Perth. We'll we will see him play some part in this Ashes series. He's back bowling at full tilt in the Nets at the moment, and him and Josh Hazelwood will play some part in this Ashes series. The next headline, Archer rested. Joffra will not be able to play all five tests and will need to be rested at some point. How the English manage that I don't know. For me, he needs to play at least the first two tests. England needs to get off to a good start in this test series. If they lose the first one or two, it it's gonna be game over for them. It's really hard to pull a series back in Australia after you're on the back foot early doors. And the next headline will be about his his opening bowling partner. Wood ruled out of Ashes series. I just for me, Mark Wood is too injury prone, and I can just see him picking up an injury throughout this Ashes series. And don't be surprised if that could be the end of Mark Wood's international career. He has found it really hard to sort of string a series of games together, and he's only getting older and he's getting more and more injuries. So don't be surprised if he picks up another injury during that this Ashes campaign that he calls quits on his career. And while we're speaking of retirements, the next headline for me, Kawaii announces retirement. I just feel, and I have felt for some time that Uzi is building towards if Australia win this Ashes series, that that Uzi is building for a retirement announcement come that last test in Sydney in the new year, going out on a high with a with a big Ashes Series victory. You you saw up when McGraw, Warren and Langer all retired at the same time after that big Ashes series win in 2006, 2007. And I I just I can just picture Uzzy doing the same thing. So yeah, watch this space. I'm look, I'm not trying to retire Uzzy by any means. I'd love him to keep going, but I just I've got a gut feeling that that this could be his his final series. As I mentioned before, uh next headline 100 down under still eludes, Joe Root. I just feel like he he's not gonna get there. I feel like he's gonna finish his career with an asterisk next to his name. He's gonna push Suchin for the most test runs. I I can give him that, but he he's gonna go down, I think, as as not having ever scored a hundred in Australia. So that's always gonna be a a talking point. And look, I'm happy for him to prove me wrong. I would love Joe Root to go out and score a hundred in this Ashes series and and and prove all the critics wrong. But it would also be quite an interesting one to go in into the history books as as the leading test run scorer ever in the game, but never scored a hundred in Australia. Stokes to miss remainder of series due to injury. I've got a feeling that Stokes is gonna run himself into the ground again. I feel like there's gonna be times when the English bowling lineup is gonna be is gonna be copping tap to all parts of of the Australian venue wherever they're playing at by the likes of Smith, Head, Labershane. And I I feel like Stokes is gonna bowl probably more of a a load than he would like, and I feel like we're gonna see him miss at least one game towards the back end of this Ashes series, maybe more. Head the hometown hero. Again, I think you can just about Pant Sewell Travis head in for another hundred at Adelaide Oval this summer. He has done for the last couple of years, and and I just feel like he he's gonna do it again. He he just loves budding there. He he knows his home conditions and he knows his his home ground well. And I'd I'd love to see him do it again, especially in a in a big Ashes series. So rooting for Travis Head to score another hundred in Adelaide. And to finish with the the last headline of the summer, what now for McCullum, Stokes, and Bas Ball after Ashes humiliation? If my score line prediction comes true and Australia do win the Ashes 3-1, what then? As I said before, McCullum, Stokes and this Buzz Ball era have been building for this Ashes series. They obviously there was the Ashes series in 2023, which was played while Buzz Ball was still in its infancy, but everything has been building for this series down under. They haven't won an Ashes series in Australia for for some time, and and this era, this side was gonna be the one to do it. But if they go away having been absolutely hammered once again by Australia down under, there's gonna be a lot of question marks. The the style of play is gonna come under question. McCollum's coaching tactics, Stokes captaincy, heads roll after big series like this, especially when so much time and effort has been put into it. So it'll be interesting to see what does happen off the look. I I I quite like what McCollum is doing, and and the way that England play their cricket is is fantastic for Tess cricket, and it's great, but the arrogance of the way they go about it is it just leaves a a bad taste in my mouth, and definitely something that would need to be looked at going forward. And and as I say, the way they play their cricket isn't sustainable. I think that there's a balance there if they can find the balance and they have started to find somewhat of a balance in in sort of the last few tests, but I still think they're a bit too rush in their approach. So yeah, it'll be interesting to see what happens after this series, as I say, if if Australia do come away with a big series win. So the five test series kicks off in Perth in a few hours' time. So that test will run from November 21st to the 25th. The second test will be at the GABA up in Brisbane and it will be a day nighter that will run from December 4th to the 8th. Third test will be at Adelaide Oval from December 16th to 21st. The Boxing Day test will then take place at the MCG as it always does from December 26th to the 30th, and then the new year's test will take place at the SCG in Sydney from January 3rd to 7th. So all the talk is finally has finally come to an end, and we are finally ready to go. So quite excited for a big Ashes series ahead. So that brings us to an end of the in-depth roundup of the Ashes on the Ashes to Ashes podcast. We're now just hours away from the first test, which is extremely exciting. I will be back next week with a wrap-up of the first test, as I will be after every test throughout the series. So make sure you stay tuned. And as an Aussies supporter, I have to say good luck to the Aussies in the upcoming Ashes series. But hoping for a nice, tight Ashes series coming up and a well-thought one. So lots of very exciting cricket ahead, no doubt. As always, be sure to give us a follow and a rating wherever you listen to your podcast, whether it be on the likes of Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon music. And as I say, I'll be back next week with a wrap up of the first test from Perth. So I'll see you then.