The Ashes 2025/26: Who will play for England? How good are Australia? What Ben Stokes will tourists get?

After that draw, you must be desperate for more.

England and India served up a Test series for the ages, one of outstanding cricket and animosity, and one that ended with a 23-wicket workhouse in Mohammed Siraj securing a six-run win for his side and leaving a one-armed man in Chris Woakes bereft.

A result of 2-2 was probably fair given all the two teams had poured into a Test series that was arguably the best since the 2005 Ashes, which brings us neatly to the 2025/26 Ashes.

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For that is the England red-ball team's next assignment. And surely their biggest assignment. They haven't beaten Australia in a Test series since 2015. They haven't won a Test series - or indeed a single Test - in Australia in 15 years.

Those numbers are grim but the optimism is high. England are doing a lot of things right while long-time Ashes holder Australia potentially have a few chinks in their armour.

With a little over 100 days until The Ashes begins, in Perth on November 21 (2.30am UK time), we look at the key questions...

Are Crawley and Pope safe?

We entered the Test summer with Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope's places in the top three possibly under threat from young buck Jacob Bethell, who had hit three half-centuries in as many matches during the 2-1 series win in New Zealand the previous winter.

Crawley looks to have nailed down his Ashes spot, despite being the only member of the top seven (other than Bethell, who only played one Test) not to hit a hundred against India. He averaged 32.22 in that series, a lick up from his career number of 31.55.

The opener did manage three fifties, though, and his opening stands with Ben Duckett frequently give England vibrant starts and opponents headaches. He also averages 43.06 against Australia and should enjoy the bouncy tracks there this winter.

Which brings us to Pope, who averages 15.70 against Australia and notched just 67 runs in six innings at 11.16 during the 4-0 away Ashes drubbing in 2021/22. Against India, he continued his worrying trend of starting a series well - a ton in Leeds - before fading.

Vice-captain Pope has a weird existence. He is only ever an injury to Ben Stokes away from leading the side - doing so against India at The Oval after Stokes' shoulder issue - but one low innings away from people wondering if he should be in the side at all.

Bethell did not really press his claims to oust Pope after replacing Stokes for the Oval finale, out for five and six with his second-innings dismissal - bowled charging down the wicket with the game in England's grasp on the fourth evening - an ugly sight.

Still, that sketchy display was probably due to a lack of cricket - he was playing his first red-ball innings in over a month with just three T20 knocks in between. Bethell will surely be on the plane to Australia, so Pope's place in the XI is not yet guaranteed.

What Stokes will England get?

If the skipper performs as he did against India, then England have a genuine chance of an Ashes win. He was his side's best bowler - 17 wickets, often vital ones, at 25.23 - operating with pace and hostility in long spells and finding movement, too.

Stokes also scored his first Test century since the 2023 Ashes in the fourth match versus India, so his latest injury concern came at such an inopportune time and highlighted how England struggle for balance when he is out.

With Stokes missing the Oval Test, the hosts lost a frontline batter and bowler. In trying to replace two players in one, they went into that match without a frontline spinner. Stokes' dual roles, as well as his inspirational leadership, are so vital for this side.

He insists he will be fit and ready to face Australia as he looks to make a real mark on an overseas Ashes since bursting on the scene with a hundred in 2013/14.

Stokes missed the 2017/18 tour following the Bristol incident and was hampered by injury in 2017/18 after recently returning from a mental health break. How he comes back from this latest ailment will go a long way to deciding England's Ashes fate.

Which seamers will go?

We can probably ink in the names of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue. Mark Wood, too, if fit, although the fact England's quickest bowler has not played since February due to a knee injury is a concern.

Woakes' suspected dislocated left shoulder looks likely to end his Ashes hopes and perhaps opens the door for Sam Cook to go as the seamer best placed to extract early nibble, with Australian pitches having offered something to bowlers of late.

Cook had a fairly innocuous debut against Zimbabwe at the start of the home summer but has an excellent record with the Kookaburra ball, which is used down under.

Brendon McCullum is a big fan of the burly Jamie Overton so we can perhaps expect him to tour as well. If Woakes is indeed out, Overton would bolster the lower-order batting.

It seems highly unlikely that England will give Ollie Robinson another go, with the Sussex seamer having seemingly fallen out of favour due to fitness and personality issues - but he did bag 11 wickets at 25.54 in the previous away Ashes and is highly skilful..

Which spinners will go?

England have put a lot of faith in off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, happy to accept the rare (and often too frequent) bad ball as they like his high release point and overspin.

The 21-year-old did not end the summer in the XI due to a finger injury but former Australia captain Ricky Ponting says he should definitely be in the side for the Ashes opener.

"I think Bashir is as similar to [Australia's] Nathan Lyon as anyone around the world and Lyon's record in Perth and Brisbane is very good, so I would play Bashir for sure," Ponting told Sky Sports.

"Bashir will have [Australia left-arm seamer] Mitchell Starc's footmarks to bowl into and Australia will probably have three or four left-handers in their batting line-up and that will help him."

Left-armer Liam Dawson came in from the Test wilderness to replace Bashir in Manchester and while solid, he failed to exploit the admittedly small areas of rough as India battled to a draw on day five and was then dropped at The Oval after Stokes' injury.

Dawson offers England something with the bat, ball and in the field but may now be under pressure for the position of Bashir's back-up with leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed currently batting like Don Bradman and bowling like Shane Warne.

Okay, those comparisons are over-egging the pudding but Rehan, 20, has scored four hundreds in five County Championship innings and five overall, while picking up 23 wickets including 13 in one game. Is he making an irresistible case?

How good are Australia?

Australia's pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are the biggest obstacle standing in England's way, while spinner Lyon will probably play a big role, too - even though he hasn't of late with the speed of Tests limiting his influence.

From four downwards, the batting appears rosy. Steve Smith is looking somewhat back to his best, while the swashbuckling Travis Head at No 5 has been a constant thorn in England's side for years and wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey is a cool head at No 7.

Beau Webster has made a decent start to his Test career and may slot in at No 6.

But the top three - which, in the West Indies recently, comprised an aging Usman Khawaja, young pup Sam Konstas, an out-of-position Cam Green and just one fifty between them all - seems about as secure Woakes' left shoulder.

Marnus Labuschagne opened for the first time in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's before that tour of the Caribbean, scored 17 and 22 and was dropped.

Former England seamer turned Sky Sports pundit Stuart Broad said: "I said a few weeks ago that I thought it was the most muddled Australia top three I'd seen in my lifetime.

"Konstas averaged eight in the Caribbean and Khawaja, outside of runs in Sri Lanka, has had a nightmare 18 months. Australia will find a way but they don't have an obvious top three as it stands."

Ashes series in Australia 2025-26 ?

All times UK and Ireland

First Test: Friday November 21-Tuesday November 25 ( 2.30am ) - Optus Stadium, Perth

Friday November 21-Tuesday November 25 ( ) - Optus Stadium, Perth Second Test (day/night): Thursday December 4-Monday December 8 ( 4.30am ) - The Gabba, Brisbane

Thursday December 4-Monday December 8 ( ) - The Gabba, Brisbane Third Test: Wednesday December 17-Sunday December 21 ( 12am ) - Adelaide Oval

Wednesday December 17-Sunday December 21 ( ) - Adelaide Oval Fourth Test: Thursday December 25-Monday December 29 ( 11.30pm ) - Melbourne Cricket Ground

Thursday December 25-Monday December 29 ( ) - Melbourne Cricket Ground Fifth Test: Sunday January 4-Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) - Sydney Cricket Ground

(c) Sky Sports 2025: The Ashes 2025/26: Who will play for England? How good are Australia? What Ben Stokes will tourists get?

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