Ashes 2025/26 ultimate guide, Australia vs. England: 150-year first as little-known Aussie Brendan Doggett set for debut in Perth Test

Brendan Doggett is set to make Australian cricket history when he takes to the field for the first Ashes Test in Perth.

Following the hamstring injury to in-form quick Josh Hazlewood and the back injury to Pat Cummins, Doggett is set to come into the line-up for the first Test against England, which gets underway on Friday.

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He will become just the third Indigenous man in almost 150 years of Test cricket to pull on the baggy green – after Scott Boland and Jason Gillespie.

The 31-year-old will slot into Australia’s feared fast-bowling attack alongside veteran quicks Mitchell Starc and Boland.

By taking the field alongside Boland on Friday, the Australian team will become the first in its long history to feature two Indigenous players.

It will also complete an incredible journey to the top for a man who has long been viewed as nothing more than a Sheffield Shield toiler.

Doggett has quietly gone about his business in Shield cricket for the best part of a decade, first with Queensland before joining South Australia.

He received a shock call-up to the Australian squad in 2018 following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. However, he never got onto the field.

Some unfortunate injuries saw him fall out of Test calculations in the following years.

Doggett then moved to South Australia in 2021, where he established himself as a Shield star, leading the strugglers to glory in the 2024-25 season.

The quick has come back into calculations in the past seasons, regularly named in the Australian squads in the past 18 months.

But being behind Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Boland has made it impossible to crack, until now.

Yet with Cummins and Hazlewood unavailable, the three-time Shield winner will finally get his shot.

And Gillespie, who coached Doggett for South Australia, is excited to see him in action,

“He’s one of the quicker bowlers in Australia,” Gillespie told ABC Radio on Sunday.

“His path to a potential Baggy Green is not a common one in the modern game.

“It just shows the value of our local competitions, plying away and working on your craft.”

When is the 2025/26 Ashes series?

The series is scheduled from 21 November 2025 to 8 January 2026.

Where will the Ashes matches be played?

The five Test matches will be held in Australia at Perth Stadium (Perth), The Gabba (Brisbane), Adelaide Oval (Adelaide), Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), and Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

What is the full 2025/26 Ashes schedule?

1st Test: Perth Stadium, 21-25 November 2025

2nd Test: The Gabba, Brisbane, 4-8 December 2025 (Day-Night Test)

3rd Test: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 17-21 December 2025

4th Test: MCG, Melbourne, 26-30 December 2025 (Boxing Day Test)

5th Test: SCG, Sydney, 4-8 January 2026 (New Year’s Test)

Where can I watch the Ashes 2025/26 on TV in Australia?

Every match of the 2025/26 Ashes series will be broadcast live on Fox Cricket and Kayo.

What date is the Perth Ashes Test?

The first Test begins on Friday, November 21 at Optus Stadium.

If it goes the entire five days, it will finish on Tuesday November 25.

Will there be a day-night Ashes Test?

Yes. The second Test of the series will be the day-night Test.

Brisbane will host the pink-ball clash from December 4 onwards.

What time do The Ashes matches start?

Due to matches being played across several Australian time zones, the start times will differ Test to Test.

The times action starts each day are below:

1st Test – 1.20pm AEDT, 12.20pm AEST, 10.20am AWST, 12.50pm ACDT

2nd Test – 3pm AEDT, 2pm AEST, 12pm AWST, 2.30pm ACDT

3rd Test – 10.30am AEDT, 9.30am AEST, 7.30am AWST, 10am ACDT

4th Test – 10.30am AEDT, 9.30am AEST, 7.30am AWST, 10am ACDT

5th Test – 10.30am AEDT, 9.30am AEST, 7.30am AWST, 10am ACDT

What happens if The Ashes series ends in a draw?

If the Ashes series finishes in a draw, whoever won the previous Ashes series retains the urn.

The last series in 2023 finished as a draw, which meant Australia retained the urn due to the fact they won the 2021 series in Australia.

England has not won a series since the 2015 series in the UK.

Australia has held the urn since winning the 2017-18 series.

Do the Ashes count towards the World Test Championship?

Yes, all five matches are part of the current World Test Championship cycle.

How often are the Ashes played?

Historically, the Ashes are played every two years, alternating between England and Australia as who hosts the iconic series.

The last series was held in 2023 in England.

Why is it called ‘The Ashes’?

The term was coined after England lost to Australia way back in 1882.

The defeat led to a satirical obituary which stated English cricket had died and its “ashes” would be taken to Australia.

What is the Ashes trophy?

The trophy is a small terracotta urn containing the ashes of a burnt cricket bail.

Australia squad for Ashes 2025/26

Australia named a 15-man squad for the first Test match in Perth only, with captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the first Test.

Australian Ashes squad: Steve Smith (c), 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 squad for Ashes 2025/26

Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood

Who are the captains for Australia and England?

Pat Cummins is Australia’s Test captain, but since he is unavailable for the first Test, Steve Smith with captain the Aussies in Perth.

Ben Stokes will captain the English side this summer.

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