The following is a preview with betting tips for the Second Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series. This will be a day-night Test in Brisbane.
2025-26 Ashes Schedule
The Test Match schedule is as follows. The figures in X-Y-Z format show Australia’s head-to-head Test record against England at each venue.
First Test – Optus Stadium, Perth
November 21-25
England 172 & 164
Australia 132 & 205/2
Australia won by 8 wickets
Second Test (day/night) – The Gabba, Brisbane
December 4-8
15-5-4 record
Third Test – Adelaide Oval
December 17-21
19-5-9 record
Fourth Test – Melbourne Cricket Ground
December 26-30
25-7-19 record
Fifth Test – Sydney Cricket Ground
January 4-8
23-7-22 record
2025-26 Series So Far
First Test – Perth
The Test was over inside two days. Nineteen wickets fell on the first day as both sides struggled with the bat. On the second day, England built a lead of 105 with the fall of just one wicket. They then lost four wickets for just 11 runs. England went on to go 9-99 during the second session. Makeshift Australian opener Travis Head then scored 123 off 83 as Australia chased down 205 in just 28.2 overs. In the span of five hours, England went from being well on top to suffering an eight-wicket defeat.
Recent Ashes Series Scores in Australia
It doesn’t make for pretty reading for England. Since winning the 2010/11 series, England have lost 14 and drawn 2 matches out of 16.
2025/26: Australia leads 1-0
2021/22: Australia won 4-0
2017/18: Australia won 4-0
2013/14: Australia won 5-0
2010/11: England won 3-1
2006/07: Australia won 5-0
2002/03: Australia won 4-1
Second Test in Australia
I was curious to see how England has fared in the Second Test of each series in Australia. Do they fare better than the First Test given they’ve had more time to adapt to Australian conditions?
2021: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by 275 runs (Adelaide)
2017: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by 120 runs (Adelaide)
2013: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by 218 runs (Adelaide)
2010: 1st Test Drawn / ENG won 2nd Test by an innings and 71 runs (Adelaide)
2006: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by 6 wickets (Adelaide)
2002: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by won by an innings and 51 runs (Adelaide)
1998: 1st Test Drawn / AUS won 2nd Test by 7 wickets (Perth)
1994: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by 295 runs (Melbourne)
1990: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by 8 wickets (Melbourne)
1986: ENG won 1st Test / 2nd Test drawn (Perth)
1982: 1st Test Drawn / AUS won 2nd Test by 7 wickets (Brisbane)
1978: ENG won 1st Test / ENG won 2nd Test by 166 runs (Perth)
1974: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by 9 wickets (Perth)
1970: 1st Test Drawn / 2nd Test drawn (Perth)
1965: 1st Test Drawn / 2nd Test drawn (Melbourne)
1962: 1st Test Drawn / ENG won 2nd Test by 7 wickets (Melbourne)
1958: AUS won 1st Test / AUS won 2nd Test by 8 wickets (Melbourne)
1954: AUS won 1st Test / ENG won 2nd Test by 38 runs (SCG)
You have to go back to 1954 for the last time that England won the Second Test in Australia after the hosts won the First Test. Since then, when they won the First Test at home, Australia have gone 9-0-0 in the Second Test.
Brisbane Tests
Since the mid-1980s, Brisbane has traditionally hosted the First Test. England haven’t won a Test at this venue in almost 40 years.
2021 (1st Test): Australia won by 9 wickets
2017 (1st Test): Australia won by 10 wickets
2013 (1st Test): Australia won by 381 runs
2010 (1st Test): match drawn
2006 (1st Test): Australia won by 277 runs
2002 (1st Test): Australia won by 384 runs
1998 (1st Test): match drawn
1994 (1st Test): Australia won by 184 runs
1990 (1st Test): Australia won by 10 wickets
1986 (1st Test): England won by 7 wickets
Against other opponents, Australia haven’t fared as well in Brisbane in recent years, however. They lost to India in 2021, which ended a 31-game unbeaten streak at the Gabba. This commenced a run of two wins, a draw and two defeats for Australia at this venue.
Australia Team News
Australia have opted for the same squad as the First Test. Pat Cummins’ and Josh Hazlewood’s returns from injury have been put on ice.
Usman Khawaja returns despite being hampered by injury in Perth.
England Team News
Reports are that Mark Wood is in serious doubt for the Brisbane Test due to a knee injury. Shoaib Bashir or Will Jacks could replace him if England opt for a spinner, while Josh Tongue would be the likely replacement if they opt for a five-pronged pace attack.
England opted to skip Canberra and send the bulk of their squad straight to Brisbane. Only reserve bowlers Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts plus reserve batter Jacob Bethell played against the Prime Minister’s XI in a two-day pink ball fixture in the capital. It will be interesting to see whether that decision backfires with hindsight, or whether it was an astute decision given the contrasting conditions between Canberra and Brisbane.
Day-night Stats
Brisbane will be a day-night Test that features the pink ball. The session times (local) are:
First Session: 2 PM – 4 PM
Second Session: 4.40 PM – 6.40 PM
Third Session: 7 PM – 9 PM
An extra 30 minutes is available to complete the daily overs.
Australia have a 2-0-1 record for day-night Tests at the Gabba, while England have never played at day-night Test at this venue. At all venues, Australia have won 13 of their last 14 day-nighters. Mitchell Starc has among the best pink-ball stats in the world and Marnus Labuschagne’s batting average in day-nighters is 63.86, well above his career average of 46.34.
England will be playing with a pink ball for the first time in nearly three years. They have lost five of their previous seven day-nighters. Two members of the likely England XI have never played a first-class match with the pink ball.
Can We Rule Out a Draw in Dry Conditions?
Test batting statistics have been in a decline in Australia, which has resulted in shorter games. With conditions looking pretty good for Brisbane, does that mean we can bet strongly against a draw?
From 2000-2019, the batting and bowling stats in Australia were:
Average match length: 335.4 overs
Batting average: 35.1
Bowling strike rate: 61.0
Five years ago a new version of the Kookaburra ball was introduced to Australian cricket. The new version has a bigger seam and it offers seam movement for longer. In addition, Australian pitches in the last four years have been rated as faster, bouncier and more inconsistent than anywhere else in the world.
From 2020-25 the figures are:
Average match length: 278.1 overs
Batting average: 28.1
Bowling strike rate: 51.2
Australia has witnessed two two-day Tests in the last three years. Prior to that there had been none since 1931.
Brisbane Weather Forecast
The Brisbane weather forecast at the time of writing is:
Thursday: Partly cloudy. 19-29. No rain.
Friday: Partly cloudy. 19-29. No rain
Saturday: Sunny. 19-30. No rain.
Sunday: Shower or two developing. 20-32. 0-3mm of rain.
Monday: Shower or two. 20-28. 0-4mm of rain.
Betting Tips
Compare Second Test odds
Compare series odds
Australia are now the 1.27 (Betfair) favourite to win the series, with the draw priced at 15.50 and and England win priced at 6.60. It’s hard to make a case for England at this stage. Only once in the 21st century has a team won the Ashes after losing the first Test (that’s once in 13). The lower probability of a draw in any game also makes the series draw look less appealing. Australia will also have Pat Cummins’ and Josh Hazlewood return from injury at some point during the series. The only selection I could consider at the moment is Australia.
The head-to-head odds for the Brisbane Test are:
Australia: 1.55 (BoomBet)
Draw: 18.50 (Betfair)
England: 3.10 (bet365)
With the draw looking unlikely for the reasons discussed earlier, the only selection I could consider is Australia. They have won 16 of their last 21 home Tests (16-3-2), while England have lost 8 of their last 11 overseas Tests. Australia have gone 14-2-0 in their last sixteen home Tests against England. They have also gone 7-2-0 in their last nine Brisbane Tests during the Ashes. Australia’s last defeat to England in Brisbane was in 1986. You have to go back to 1954 for the last time that England won the Second Test in Australia after the hosts won the First Test. Since then, when they won the First Test at home, Australia have gone 9-0-0 in the Second Test.