The Ashes 2025: Key battles and where the series will be won and lost in Australia

England has a frustrating habit of getting beaten into the ashes before Father Christmas loads his sleigh.

The series has traditionally started in Brisbane, where they have not won since 1986. More recently, a day and night Test has followed in Adelaide – England have one win in seven pink-ball Tests around the world, while Australia have won 13 of 14.

They then moved to Perth, a city England have visited 14 times since 1970 and emerged victorious only once, against Australia, which Packer destroyed in 1978.

This time, the first three stops on the tour are the same, just in a different order and under different conditions.

Perth will host the opening match of the Ashes for the first time, but not at the legendary WACA Stadium – which has seen much of the England side humbled – but at Perth’s shiny new stadium. This remains a difficult task, although tourists deal with it without any historical burdens.

Brisbane is the venue for the second Test, which is the day and night Test. The last time Australia played a pink-ball Test at the Gabba, they were stunned by the West Indies. Likewise, the Australians are now unaccustomed to playing daytime matches at Adelaide’s usual day-and-night venue. In the two red-ball matches played in the City of Churches since 2014, Australia lost one to India in 2018.

The realigned schedule gives England a fresh attempt to start their Ashes journey away, albeit with some risks.

Australia have won four of the five Tests played at Perth, although the only defeat came in the last match – against India last year. Every Test at the new ground is won by the team that bats first.

England often hold matches day and night, when statistics show that the pink ball’s performance is not much different from its red counterpart.

The problem in day and night games is the hitters seeing the ball under the floodlights. It is therefore questionable why England would send the Lions to play a Prime Minister’s XI under the lights in Canberra between the first and second Tests, when the Ashes team could be gaining valuable training.