As Australia worryingly prepare for a rare home Test match without both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, making it only the third such instance since 2015, England are riding on an intangible high as they are set to unleash their fully fit and firing pace attack.
The AUS vs ENG Ashes 2025-26 is set to take center stage on November 21, Friday, at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Australia will be led by Steve Smith as Cummins recovers from his back injury, while Hazlewood is sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
On the other hand, England have all their selected players fit as the Bazballers look to start on the front foot in Perth, where they will aim for England’s first Test match victory in Australia since January 2011.
Video: Jofra Archer knocks over Joe Root’s middle stump in Perth nets
Two days out from the Ashes opener in Perth, Jofra Archer, the leader of England’s fast bowling attack, has sent a resounding non-verbal warning to the hosts as a video of Archer banging the middle stump of Joe Root, the world’s best Test batsman currently, in the Perth nets has gone viral.
Journalist Bharat Sundaresan captured this jaw-dropping video from the Perth nets on Wednesday, standing right behind Root. Archer, steaming in full flow and with his trademark graceful but intense run-up, hurled a high-speed full-length, swinging delivery that seemed to cut into Root upon pitching.
The former England captain who is now the second-highest Test run-scorer had little idea of the movement of the delivery. As he tried to plant his front foot across the line of the ball, the red cherry had already bypassed him and thudded into the stumps while Root’s head fell over a little. A spicy pitch awaits the two teams in Perth, and this video could send a bit of a shiver down the fallible Australian batting lineup.
Jofra Archer marked his return to Test cricket earlier this year against India at home, where he threatened to be back to his menacing best, with nine wickets in two matches.
Meanwhile, England have announced their 12-man squad for Perth, which includes Mark Wood and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. Wood had a tight hamstring, for which he had scans, but was cleared thereafter.
Ashes 2025-26: England 12-man squad for 1st AUS vs ENG Test in Perth:
Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Zak Crawley, Shoaib Bashir, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
