Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have made significant progress in their recoveries, returning to bowling ahead of the second Ashes Test, which starts on December 4. Both fast bowlers had missed the opening Test in Perth, which Australia won by eight wickets. Their return to training has boosted hopes of a stronger pace attack for the upcoming matches.

The duo was seen bowling at Cricket Central in Sydney while New South Wales were facing Tasmania in a Sheffield Shield game. Hazlewood is working his way back from a hamstring injury, while Cummins has been recovering from a back issue. During the training session, Hazlewood used the red ball and Cummins bowled with the pink ball, signalling preparation for different match conditions.

Australian head coach Andrew McDonald shared updates on both players. He confirmed that Hazlewood will definitely feature at some point in the series. Regarding Cummins, McDonald said he is progressing well but the team will be careful not to rush him. The coach stressed that they want to avoid pushing Cummins too quickly and risking further injury.

McDonald Shares Injury Timeline and Selection Possibilities

"I know that he'll be available at some point during the series. We've got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series. It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation. The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There's a lot of positives, but now it's just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we're not putting him in harm's way in terms of accelerating it too much," stated McDonald, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

See Also: Ravindra Jadeja breaks 115-year-old record during IND vs SA 2nd Test in Guwahati

While Cummins has a chance of returning for the pink-ball Test, Hazlewood is expected to be fully available from the third Test onward. If both return, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett are likely to make way despite their strong performances in Perth. Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler in the first Test, taking a 10-wicket match haul and earning Player of the Match for his exceptional effort.

England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith was at the center of a major DRS controversy on the second day of the first Ashes Test in Perth after being given out caught behind on review. Batting on 15, Smith was cramped for room while attempting to pull a back-of-a-length delivery from Brendan Doggett and was initially given not out by on-field umpire Nitin Menon. However, Australia captain Steven Smith opted for a review following loud appeals from Travis Head at short leg and wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

The decision went to TV umpire Sharfuddoula, who took almost four minutes and several replays before overturning the on-field call. The moment became even more dramatic when Jamie Smith started walking away after witnessing a subtle spike on the Real Time Snickometer (RTS) that was being displayed on the big screen. But he hesitated as a slowed-down clip showed the spike occurring a frame after the ball had passed the bat, leading to uncertainty about the timing of the contact.

Despite the ambiguity, Sharfuddoula ruled Smith out, saying the evidence indicated contact with the bat. Former international umpire Simon Taufel later backed the TV umpire’s decision, stressing the importance of using all available technology consistently throughout a series. Thousands of England fans disagreed, booing loudly and chanting, “Same old Aussies, always cheating.”

Taufel Backs Decision; Waugh Says Smith’s Reaction Played a Role

During the broadcast, Sharfuddoula explained his reasoning: “[There is a] spike as the ball has just gone past the bat. [I am] satisfied the ball has made contact with the bat. My decision… Nitin, you need to change your decision from not out to out. There's a clear spike as the ball had just passed [the bat].” Taufel supported this, pointing out the challenges of different technologies: “This is the difficulty when we have two types of edge-detection technologies around the world… if you get a spike up to one frame past the bat, that is conclusive. And in this particular case, that is exactly what was there.” He added that the TV umpire “didn't want to pull the trigger quite as quickly as perhaps he could have or should have,” but still reached the correct outcome.

Watch the video here

Jamie Smith started to walk before coming back after this hotly discussed moment. So what's your call here?#Ashes | #DRSChallenge | @Westpac pic.twitter.com/FpiqM6U6uM

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 22, 2025

See Also: Travis Head stuns with 69-ball century in AUS vs ENG 1st Ashes Test

Former Australian batter Mark Waugh noted that Jamie Smith’s initial reaction may have influenced the final call. “I think Smith gave it away there… I don't think the umpire would have been convinced that he'd hit that if he'd stayed there,” Waugh said, adding that the lengthy decision time suggested doubt. “I think that's the longest DRS decision I think I've seen,” he remarked, comparing it to past controversies such as those seen in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Another Ashes series is knocking on the door. Before that, a few stats are necessary to watch out for. In a previous article, we discussed the top 5 all-time leading run scorers in the history of The Ashes. In this part, we will talk about the 5 best bowlers who claimed the most number of wickets between the England and Australia rivalry in the Whites. 

Needless to say, legendary bowlers like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are on the list of leading wicket-takers in the history of the series. While bowlers like Ian Botham and James Anderson are not among the top 5 wicket-getters. 

Top 5 wicket-takers in the history of The Ashes

England’s fast bowling group is excited to play in Australian conditions. Jofra Archer is in a “happy place" and full of confidence, while Mark Wood is “full of energy." Brydon Carse, one of the six pace bowlers in the touring squad fighting for a place in the XI for the first Test in Perth on Friday, shared his thoughts. The other bowlers are Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, and Josh Tongue.

“Look, it’s exciting," South African-born Carse said after England’s only warm-up match against the England Lions ended on Saturday. “We have a group of six bowlers who are ready for any plan we choose, and we are enjoying these conditions."

“I think we have a group of six bowlers who, no matter what plan we choose, will enjoy these conditions." He added.

Also Read -Shubman Gill Ruled Out of 1st IND-SA Test After Suffering Neck Injury

Archer Confident; Wood Full of Energy

England has not yet decided whether to use a full pace attack at Perth Stadium, known for its fast and bouncy pitch, or include a spinner. In the three-day warm-up match, specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir played for the Lions, while part-time spinner Joe Root bowled 14.5 overs to reduce the load on the main fast bowlers.

Jofra Archer, who has dealt with four years of fitness problems, is likely to be picked after finishing the warm-up without any issues. Mark Wood, who felt some hamstring stiffness on day one, has been cleared and has no major injury.

Carse said Archer is confident before the series and is feeling good both physically and mentally. He praised Archer’s X-factor, which he has shown around the world, making his place in the lineup very exciting.

“He’s really confident going into the series. I think he’s in a happy place with his body and his cricket," Carse said about Archer.

“It’s great to have him fully fit and with the group. He has that X-factor, and he has shown it worldwide. It’s very exciting to have him in our bowling lineup."

Carse also said that Mark Wood is “full of energy" and ready to go after being cleared of any serious issue.

England captain Ben Stokes delivered an outstanding performance on Day 1 of the tour match at Lilac Hill Park in Perth, ahead of the upcoming 2025-26 Ashes. Leading the England XI against the England Lions, he picked up six wickets for 52 runs in 16 overs.

Despite his strong spell, the England Lions still managed to score 382 runs in almost 80 overs before the end of the day’s play. His early wickets set the tone, yet the Lions’ batting lineup fought back to compile a strong score.

Stokes dismantled the batting order with three separate two-wicket bursts. He removed Tom Haines and Jacob Bethell early on, then struck again to dismiss Jordan Cox and Rehan Ahmed, tightening England XI’s grip on the game.

Stokes’ Rhythm Ahead of Ashes First Test 

Ben Stokes added another double-strike late in the innings, removing Tom Lawes and Will Jacks as England Lions collapsed from 310-5 to 322-8 within five overs. His superb figures of 6-52 played a key role in bowling out the Lions for 382, showcasing his dominant form ahead of the Ashes.

Watch the video here

Ben stokes picks up a 5W haul against Eng Lions in their warm up game before Ashes pic.twitter.com/qWMNi6nmlS

— cricmawa (@cricmawa) November 13, 2025

See Also: Shardul Thakur to join Mumbai Indians in all-cash trade deal for IPL 2026

Stokes appears to be in excellent rhythm, having bowled 140 overs across four home Tests against India earlier this year, where he picked up 17 wickets and scored 304 runs at an average of 43.42. This six-wicket haul is a strong warning to Australia ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes. England, under Stokes' captaincy, take on Australia in the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth starting November 21.

Another Ashes dream for England was demolished by their arch rivals Australia on August 10, 1997, at Nottingham. In the second innings of the game, England needed to score 451 to win the game. They decided to go for an adventure shot, which made the Australians' task a lot easier. 

The attacking mindset of English batters did not go well for them, and the batting lineup fell apart. Graham Thorpe's unbeaten 82-run innings was the only hope for the home team, but the other batters of the team were far away from their best. Australian bowlers did not hesitate to take their chances. Utilizing only 4 bowlers, Mark Taylor's Australia bundled 

Mike Atherton-led England only for 186, and the Australia cricket team won the match and crushed England's dream by 264 runs. Ian Healy was awarded the man of the match award for his effective batting performance and fielding efforts.

Read More: The Hundred 2025 Live streaming details: Where and how to watch Welsh Fire vs London Spirit match 6

Second innings showed England the mirror 

During his behind-the-stump duties, Healy successfully completed 7 catches in the entire Test match. The middle-order batters' 63-run innings came at the right time when the baggy green squad was slightly in a tight position with England in the second innings. Neither with the bat nor with the ball was England ever on the same level as Australia in that game. The touring team dominated Nottingham from the beginning of the match, and as per expectations, it ended in a one-sided draw. 

The England cricket team took a gamble by introducing the Hollioake brothers. It was the debut match for both Adam Hollioake and Ben Hollioake, but their inclusion could not provide any notable difference for their team under pressure. 

Summary of the match:

England vs Australia, August 7-10, 1997:

Australia: 427 and 336

England: 313 and 186 (Target: 451)

A soggy ending at Old Trafford, Manchester. On August 5, 2013, England retained the prestigious Ashes. The intense rivalry came in anticlimactic surroundings, where, more than the England batting order, Australia bowlers faced more difficulties due to adverse weather conditions.

The umpire was forced to call the stumps earlier than the actual schedule. It was announced that the play had been abandoned at 4.39pm local time. The England cricket team was already 3 wickets down for only 37 while they were chasing a target of 332 when the match was called off.

Then the captain of England, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, and Kevin Pietersen were returned to the pavilion, and Australia positioned themselves nicely to haul the match. But the weather in Manchester did not allow that to happen. After the match, during the presentation ceremony, Cook revealed his mixed feelings about retaining the title in this manner.

Read More: OTD: Birthday of Venkatesh Prasad who made undisputed pair with Javagal Srinath

Australia was on the driving seat

Michael Clarke, the former skipper of Australia, played a magnificent 187-run innings in the first innings of the match. Chris Rogers, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, and Mitchell Starc completed their individual half centuries and helped their team to climb to 527/7d. Despite a ton from Kevin Pietersen (113 runs), England, in the first innings, was not able to match Australia's total as they claimed only 368. 

The home team bounced back in the beginning of the second inning with the help of their bowlers. By then, Australia got enough total on board to put England on the wrong side. Then, the doors of heaven opened and rain started to pour. The match ended in a draw, and England retained the Ashes. 

Simply the best from Ian Botham. From out of nowhere, when Australia started to smell a delicate win at Birmingham, Botham did incredible.

From 105 for 5 to 121 for 10. Ian Botham deserved to be the man of the match winner. The feat created by him back on August 2, 1981, is still considered as one of the iconic moments of The Ashes, which dignifies the intense rivalry between England and Australia. It was not among those high-scoring matches in the history of cricket.

That Ashes match was mostly dominated by the bowlers. A flurry of astonishing spells from the bowlers of both ends. Terry Alderman's 5-wicket haul was the hint in the first innings, which was later enhanced by Dennis Lillee and Ray Bright from the Aussie brigade. Mike Brearley, then the captain of England, dragged his team's total to 189 in the first innings with his individual 48. Australia replied strongly. With a combination of individual resilience and patience, they got 258 in their first innings batting.

Read More: OTD: Graeme Smith's 259 forced England to submission at Lord's

The best from the best

In the second innings, England again was not able to do much with their batting work, scoring only 219 and setting a target of 151 for Australia. It was not a tough target for a team that had batters like Allan Border, Kim Hughes (c), Martin Kent, and Rod Marsh in the lineup. The visiting side positioned them nicely to grab a win until they came into the crease for the run chase. England did not allow them to set on the wicket and create a long-standing partnership.

From the beginning of the second innings, they started to lose their scalps; Ian Botham came to blow away their last hope of ray. In 14 overs, he took 5 wickets with 9 maiden overs and a 0.78 economy rate. 

Perhaps one of the most tragic moments in cricket history. The way Mike Atherton missed his first Test century at Lord's was a completely out-of-mind incident. He turned for a straight third and slipped on the green side-strip pitch. Mike hurriedly tried to get up on his knees, but he couldn't help but see Ian Healy plucking the bails off.

The infamous incident of cricket history happened on June 20, 1993. The match was between England and Australia. In the second innings, the host team, England, was batting on follow-on. Compared to the first innings, England was batting with more confidence in the second.

One of the openers, Mike Atherton, was well settled on the pitch and could've easily achieved his hundred if he could show some more patience. The incident took place when the Englishman was batting on 97. Using his wrist, the right-handed batter pushed the ball towards the forward square leg. In those days boundary lines used to be wider than today's games. The ball was rolling towards the boundary line, and the fielder had to cover a fair amount of ground to capture the ball.

Read More: TNPL 2025: Salem Spartans vs Chepauk Super Gillies full match highlights

'Feet wrapped up in a blanket'

In the meantime, Atherton, who was on 97, already took a couple of singles and pushed hard for the third run to complete a landmark hundred. When they turned for the third run, he slipped on the green patch and couldn't get up to his. Then the commentator on air said, "Like running in a nightmare, with feet wrapped up in a blanket." 

Atherton departed for 99. The England batter fought brilliantly to save the match, but the target (632/4d) set by Australia was too high for them to achieve. In the end, the visiting side won the match by an innings and 62 runs. 

English opener Ben Duckett created new history in the ICC Champions Trophy as the left-handed batter became the first cricketer to score 150 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy. His powerful batting guided England to become the first team to score 350+ runs in tournament history. 

England have started their journey in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, by playing their Group B match against two-time winners Australia on Saturday (February 22). Gaddafi Stadium in Karachi is hosting the fourth match of the tournament, where Australian skipper Steven Smith chose to field first after winning the toss. 

In-form Ben Duckett once again provided a good start for England. Although he didn't get strong support from the top-order batters, the left-handed opening batter took full responsibility to shape up the innings. The 30-year-old got good support from the experienced batter Joe Root as they had a crucial 158-run partnership for the third wicket, where Root scored 68 off 78 balls (four fours) while losing his wicket.

Also Watch: Pakistan played Indian national anthem during Australia vs England match

Highest score in ICC Champions Trophy: Ben Duckett broke Nathan Astle's record

However, Duckett continued his innings against the new-look Aussie bowling lineup. Duckett scored his first fifty in 49 balls and completed his third ODI century in 95 balls. Later, the English opener completed his 150 runs in 134 balls. Before he lost his wicket in the 48th over, Duckett scored 165 off 143 balls with 17 fours and three sixes. 

It was the first time when a batter recorded 150 runs in ICC Champions Trophy history. The previous record in the tournament was 145 not out by New Zealand cricketer Nathan Astle against the United States of America (USA) during the 2004 edition.

Ben Duckett thrashed many big records

Also, Duckett's 165 became the highest score for England in any ICC ODI tournament, surpassing the record of Andrew Strauss' 158 against India during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Meanwhile, Duckett broke Sachin Tendulkar's 141 runs record (Champions Trophy 1998) to secure a new record for the highest score by any batter against Australia in any ICC ODI tournament. Duckett's 165 also became the third-highest ODI score by an English batter against Australia and the fifth-highest ODI score against any team.

England set highest total in ICC Champions Trophy history

Duckett had a huge role in England's total of 351/8 in 50 overs. It was also the highest total in ICC Champions Trophy history. The previous highest total record in this tournament was 347/4 by New Zealand against the USA during the 2004 edition. While it was England's fourth-highest total in ICC ODI tournament history, it was also the third-highest total record for any team against Australia in ICC ODI tournament history.