Read our Ashes Second Test preview and prediction as England head to the Gabba seeking to level the series. Can Stokes’ side break their long Brisbane drought?
The first Test of this Ashes series in Perth had everything, and all of it packed into just 141.1 overs across two days.
This is now the fifth consecutive men’s Ashes series in which Australia have won the opening Test. Only once this century has a team recovered to win a men’s Ashes series after losing the opener: England’s famous 2005 comeback.
The Gabba(ttoir)
England’s record in Brisbane is little better than their form in Perth. Australia are undefeated in their last nine men’s Tests against England at the Gabba (W7 D2) and haven’t lost one there since November 1986. Overall Down Under, England are winless in their last 16 Tests in Australia (D2 L14).
Historically, Brisbane hasn’t been particularly bowler-friendly in the Ashes. A collective bowling strike rate of 74.1 at the Gabba is the second-highest of any Ashes venue, behind only Adelaide Oval (80.7). Even so, only three of the last nine Ashes innings here have seen the batting side reach 300+.
What We Learned From The First Test
Perth was a rollercoaster. Both sides collapsed with the bat in their first innings, with the pace attacks ripping through defences. England’s second innings was scarcely better, underscored by Gus Atkinson top-scoring with 37.
Ultimately, one innings decided it. Travis Head’s remarkable 100 from 69 balls, the second-fastest century in a men’s Ashes Test (Adam Gilchrist’s 57-ball effort in 2006 still leads the way).
Australia drew a false shot on 40% of their total deliveries in the match – their highest rate in a men’s Test since 42% against Pakistan in January 2010. Whether that says more about Australia’s bowling or England’s batting flaws is up for debate.
Bazball Under Fire
England’s batting approach is again under intense scrutiny. Ollie Pope emerged with minimal reputational damage, but almost everyone else sits firmly in the “needs runs” column.
Zak Crawley, under constant external pressure since the start of his England career, has long retained faith from within the camp, but a pair in the first Test surely changes the narrative. Since his 189 in the fourth Ashes Test of 2023 at Old Trafford, Crawley has just one century in 39 innings: his 124 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge earlier in the 2025 English summer.
Joe Root, one of England’s greatest batters, is also desperate for a hundred. Much of the pre-series focus was on his lack of a century in Australia. Only one overseas player has scored more runs in Australia without making a ton than Root’s 900 (Tom Hayward – 962 between 1897 and 1904). Root hasn’t even fallen victim to the nervous 90s – his best in Australia remains 89.
A bright spot is Harry Brook’s first-innings form. He has reached at least 50 in five of his seven first-innings knocks for England in 2025, including one century. He has also passed 50 in England’s first innings in each of his last three Tests against Australia.
Travball
For Australia, Travis Head arrives in Brisbane after a game-defining century at the top of the order. In Brisbane he has scored either 80+ runs (4 times) or 0 runs (3 times) in seven of his nine Test innings at the Gabba, including two scores of 152 – one of which was in his most recent Test there. Whether he stays at the top of the order or drops back down, he is likely to be a real thorn in England’s side across this series.
Outside of Head’s heroics, Australia can’t take many positives from their first-Test batting. Papering over the cracks might best sum up their current form, highlighted by the fact that Alex Carey top scored with 26 in the Aussies’ first innings in Perth.
Marnus Labuschagne will be delighted he managed to rattle off a half-century in Australia’s chase, but the team’s collapse in the first innings will remind them this series won’t be a cake walk against a dangerous England bowling line up.
Usman Khawaja drops out of the Aussie squad for this match with a back injury. Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise for the hosts though. His one previous Ashes match at the Gabba saw him score just 11. Overall, at the Brisbane venue, Khawaja has averaged just 18.6 across his last eight innings there, a run which started with that 11 against England.
Josh Inglis looks set to come straight into the line-up to replace Khawaja. The Leeds-born batter only made his Test debut this year, scoring 102 in his first innings against Sri Lanka, becoming the first male Aussie to score a century on Test debut since Adam Voges in 2015. Inglis has played six limited-overs matches against England before and indeed scored 120* when he last faced his country of birth in their Champions Trophy clash back in February of this year.
Bowling Outlook and Predictions
England’s first-innings bowling in Perth was arguably one of their best in recent Ashes memory, and they will need to replicate that discipline to level the series. Their success came from relentless accuracy: 75% of their deliveries were outside off and 55% were on a length. Those figures fell to 56% and 48% in the final innings as they failed to contain Head.
Only Ben Stokes and Mark Wood have bowled at the Gabba in a Test from England’s current squad. Stokes took 0/65 in the first innings in 2021; Wood claimed 3/85, dismissing Steve Smith, Travis Head and Nathan Lyon before being hit for four from his only second-innings delivery as Australia sealed a nine-wicket win.
Pat Cummins participation for Australia is unknown and they’ll likely need some of their second string to step up. Scott Boland has taken at least one wicket in every one of his 12 First Class innings at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, taking 31 in total at an average of 15.9 in that stretch; in fact, his Test bowling average of 10.2 at the venue is the third-best of any Australian bowler to deliver at least 100 balls there (Ernie Toshack 6.5, Jhye Richardson 9.0).
Ashes 2025: Second Test Prediction
The First Test of this 2025-26 Ashes series was over in a flash, shorter than a pair of rain-affected ODIs. If England are to get back on level pegging and secure a rare win at the Gabba then they will need to stay at the crease much longer and accumulate much bigger scores. We don’t fancy their chances however and expect the Aussies to wrap up another comfortable win within three days, with Steve Smith this time putting the tourists to the sword as top scorer.
Australia vs England Squads:
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.
England: Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook (vice-captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.
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Ashes Second Test Preview: Can England Break Their Brisbane Curse at the Gabba? Opta Analyst.
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