2025 is a huge year in the world of cricket. Between February and March, eight of the planet’s finest will embark upon Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates to battle it out for the ICC Champions Trophy, while South Africa and Australia will clash at Lord’s in June in a bid to claim the third World Test Championship.
But one contest that will surely capture the attention more than any other is this winter’s Ashes Series, with England heading to Down Under to face their greatest rivals on their own patch. In recent years, the Aussies have held the Urn hostage, clinging to the tiny trophy for the last seven years. They have won the last three series contested on home turf, while back-to-back draws in the Northern Hemisphere ensure that the bragging rights belong to the Baggy Greens.
If the latest news from the popular Bodog betting site is to be believed, then the tourists will certainly have a difficult task on their hands. The latest odds from Bodog news and betting make Australia a huge -165 betting favorite for the upcoming Ashes, with England pushed out to +250 to win on enemy territory for the first time in 15 years. So, if they are to pull off the impossible, where do they need to improve?
England’s two greatest-ever bowlers have both called it quits on their careers over the past 18 months. Stuart Broad retired at the back end of 2023, while James Anderson announced his departure from the game last year at the age of 41. Despite the duo being their country’s finest ever, even they struggled to pick up wickets in Australia. Now, without them, the task just got a whole lot harder.
Historically, England’s bowlers have thrived in swinging conditions on home soil, but the hard, flat pitches of the Land Down Under expose their frailties and their dependency on movement through the air. Without the reliable spice of traditionally overcast British conditions conditions, their attack has looked toothless far too often on foreign soil.
To address this, England must prioritize pace, bounce, and fitness in their bowling lineup. Mark Wood looks like the biggest threat at present. He regularly averages over 95mph and that will be crucial at venues like the Gabba and the WACA. Should Jofra Archer also return to form, then he too could have a huge part to play.
The emergence of Gus Atkinson has already provided plenty of hope. The Surrey pace bowler took 12 wickets on debut against the West Indies last summer, the best by an English debutant in some 134 years. He went on to bag his country’s first hat trick in eight years on the recent tour of New Zealand and if that wasn’t enough, smashed a blistering century against Sri Lanka as well. Those exploits secured him the P.layer of the Year award in 2024, and he looks to be the tourists’ biggest threat in the Land Down Under.
Winning the Ashes in Australia is as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. The vast stadiums, packed with raucous Australian supporters, create a hostile atmosphere that can unsettle even the most composed players. For touring teams, the constant sledging from the stands and relentless scrutiny can feel overwhelming.
England must show resilience, block out the noise, and play with self-belief. But in recent years, they have wilted far too easily.
When they headed to Australia to defend the ashes back in 2017, they collapsed in the first test with a whimper. They well to 195 all out in their second innings even though the pitch was dry as a bone and perfect for batting. Aussie openers Cameron Bancroft and David Warner duly showed their opponents how it was done, racing to their target of 173 with ease and without the loss of a wicket.
That set the tone for what was to come. England continually suffered beatings, losing two of the five tests by an innings, and similar thumpings have followed in the years since.
Star batsman Joe Root and captain Ben Stokes will have to set the tone. If both are on form, then England has a chance of winning any match, Without them though, and expect collapses left, right, and center.
England can take cues from their last successful Ashes campaign in Australia during 2010–11, when a tightly-knit, mentally strong squad silenced home fans with authoritative performances. Openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook managed to provide the perfect start time and again, piling on the runs and not giving their wickets away. Once one of them was eventually dismissed, then Jonathan Trott would take over, followed by the samurai sword like Kevin Pietersen.
Now, the onus is on Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley to get off to the perfect start. If they do that, then Root and Yorkshire clubmate Harry Brook can really take the fight to the Australians. Brook smashed a scintillating triple century in a recent contest against Pakistan and further displays later this year would surely set his side up for victory.
It would be impossible to discuss England’s road to Ashes glory without addressing the enigma that is Steve Smith. The Sydney native has tormented English bowlers more often than they’d care to admit, compiling huge scores with an unorthodox yet unflappable technique. Crafting a plan to dismiss him is non-negotiable if England wants to stand any chance of challenging Australia.
The ultimate key to unlocking Smith lies in relentless discipline. Unlike other batsmen who might gift their wickets with rash shots, the veteran thrives on marathon innings. England’s bowlers must prepare for long sessions of sustained pressure, bowling in “unchaseable” corridors outside off-stump and refusing to stray onto his pads. Short-pitched bowling, while tempting, has rarely troubled Smith—unless it is genuinely fast and targeted at his body.
The New South Wales star has occasionally shown vulnerabilities to pace. Jofra Archer had plenty of success against him in his maiden Ashes Series back in the summer of 2019, and Mark Wood offering up a similar approach could pay dividends. If it doesn’t England must find a way to dismiss their biggest tormented or more years of hurt could be just around the corner.
