Six balls in Perth to Harry Brook's drop: 10 moments that decided the Ashes

"It's not a complete exaggeration to say that Australia won the 2025-26 Ashes on 15 October 2024. That was when Cricket Australia announced the schedule for the series: Perth first, Brisbane second. Starting the series on the bounciest, most Kryptonicious pitches in Australia and the only major venues where England haven't won a Test since 1986-87 was a masterstroke, especially as Australia also had a day-night advantage at the Gabba. By the time England reached more batting-friendly climes, many of their batters already had scrambled brains."

"We may never know the whole truth about whether England could have used the Waca in Perth ahead of the first Test. But even the most fervent disciple of Bazball would surely concede that warming up for an Ashes series in Australia with a two-day intrasquad game at Lilac Hill was like preparing your ears for a Slipknot gig front row, no earplugs by listening to Brian Eno's Ambient 1: Music for Airports on loop."

"By scoring at unprecedented speed, England have redefined Test batting in the Bazball years. In the first Test they redefined the alphabet of batting by turning the ABC of playing at Perth (don't drive on the up, ever) into the FFS. England were effectively 116 for two in their second innings when Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and, most FFS-inducingly of all, Joe Root all played loose drives in the space of six deliveries."

Cricket Australia's decision to open the 2025-26 Ashes in Perth followed by Brisbane gave Australia a decisive advantage through hostile conditions and a Gabba day-night edge. Perth's bouncy, extreme wickets and Australia's historical dominance at major venues unsettled England's batters by the time they reached calmer grounds. England's mild warm-up matches left them poorly prepared for brutal pace and bounce, contributing to collapses in the first Test. England's aggressive Bazball approach created rapid scoring but also amplified vulnerability against steep bounce and disciplined bowling. Travis Head delivered a controlled, devastating innings that capitalized on England's lapses.

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