The former Australia fast bowler, Glenn McGrath, who is a six-time Ashes winner, has made a jaw-dropping prediction on the upcoming five-match Test series between the Arch rivals. He did so during the last series between these two teams in 2023, where the tourists retained the urn after drawing it on a 2-2 margin.

The Ben Stokes-led side, who recently drew another home red-ball series against India after the final fixture defeat at the Kennington Oval in South London, haven’t won an Ashes series since 2015, with two draws and two losses. They haven’t gained victory in an Ashes series down under since 2010-11. Many reckon that this could be the perfect time to change the record.

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“It's very rare for me to make a prediction, isn't it? And I can't make a different one - 5-0. I'm very confident with our team. When you've got Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon firing in their home conditions, it's going to be pretty tough. Plus, that track record England have had, it'd be interesting to see if they can win a Test.” Glenn McGrath expressed on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Glenn McGrath predicts 5-0 victory for Australia during Ashes 2025/26

The former pacer has concerns about the home side’s batting, especially the top three of Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne, and Usman Khawaja, none of whom are in good form, while questions have been raised on whether the selectors should consider Sam Konstas at the opening position. He also reckoned that the tourists would need to work on strengthening their bowling attack.

“This series will be a big one for Root. He’s never really done that well in Australia; he's not even got a 100 over there, so he'll be keen to get out there. He's in fine form. Brook's the one that I've enjoyed watching. He just goes out there, plays his game, and takes it on. The Australians will need to get on him pretty early.” The former New South Wales pacer added.

“I love seeing sportspeople go out there and play without fear. That's what Baz is looking to bring into this England team - play without fear. I'd like to see a bit more accountability and the mental side of the game, just them switched on a bit more. It's exciting.” Glenn McGrath concluded as he was in full admiration of England’s aggressive batting style.

Glenn Mcgrath the legendary fast bowler of Australia has bit of small advice to Jasprit Bumrah who is been recovering from back stress which caused in 5th test of Bgt series. Mcgrah says he has to work hard in his body off the field as his body posses more power than other bowler so he needs to find an alternative way which lower the risk on his body. 

Glenn Mcgrath was renowned fast bowler for Australia who had played 124 tests and 250 ODI matches for Australia where he has taken 563 wickets in tests and 381 wickets in ODI. He has won three world cups(1999, 2003,2007) with Australia, and he was one of the prominent and go-to bowlers at that team. That was one of Australia's dangerous team. 

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The Load Is Too Much On Him

Jasprit Bumrah has been a go-through bowler for India since his debut. He has bowled some crucial overs for Team India. Though in his initial days, he was in his learning phase which constrained some runs later with the time being he mastered his art. Mcgrath says Bumrah has found some ways to get relief from his stress but needs to work on his speed and technique.

He moves on with his own example that he had bigger fuel tank but the speed was quite lower than him. Bumrah has a vivid action which extracts more pressure on his back. He needs to adgacent his body, he knows better than us that how he feels because he is not the same as he used to be before. He has to work more harder to get into field. Because the expectation on him is so high that drives more. 

Will Bumrah Back To IPL Nearby

Bumrah suffered Back stress injury in the 5th test of Bgt series on the second day where he found some discomfort in his back and left the the field where, Australia got the target of 168 and it was chased by Australia. From there he is been on recovering phase, though at initial stage he was on the cards for Champions Trophy but later he was dropped back. 

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He is doubtful for IPL too where its been said that he will be skipping the initial stages of IPL and may get into action at the later half of the IPL but it may be subject to later things. Even Mcgrath has adviced the same to balance the work load which is done by most of the players by today. 

The ICC Champions Trophy is all set to make a comeback after a long hiatus of eight years, with things getting kickstarted in Pakistan and UAE (solely for India matches). Starting on 19 February, it will be a wholesome treat to all the cricket fanatics as they witness the best eight teams competing for the coveted title in the white-ball format of 50 overs.

Across this timeline, we have seen over seven teams winning this trophy, and it will be interesting to see who among the eight teams will emerge victorious and triumph. As it implies, some legendary bowlers have set a benchmark in how this tournament can be one of the most precious and decisive for any cricket country's timeline. That said, here we look at the top five bowlers who have scalped the most wickets across all the ICC Champions Trophy editions.

India's veteran spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, is all set to resume his international season with the upcoming home Test matches against Bangladesh. With 516 wickets in his Test career, Ashwin has his eyes set on climbing the ladder of all-time wicket-takers. As he prepares for series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia looms on the horizon, where Ashwin aims to leave an indelible mark on cricket history.

Ashwin’s record-breaking ambitions in Bangladesh and beyond

Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India's greatest spinners, has been a consistent force in Test cricket, especially at home. Since 2021, Ashwin has taken 109 wickets in home Tests, far ahead of his closest competitor, Ravindra Jadeja, who has 56 wickets. With his total of 516 wickets in Test cricket, Ashwin is currently ninth on the all-time list of wicket-takers. He is closing in on legends like Courtney Walsh (519), Nathan Lyon (530), and Glenn McGrath (563), with the real possibility of surpassing Lyon's tally in the upcoming home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

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Home dominance and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Ashwin is not only looking to climb the all-time wicket-takers' list but is also gunning for another milestone at home. With 363 wickets in home Tests, he is chasing Stuart Broad’s record of 398 wickets in home conditions. If Ashwin maintains his stellar form, he could surpass Broad in 2024. Ashwin's recent performance against England, where he took 26 wickets in 5 matches, shows that he is in fine touch. The upcoming matches in Bangladesh and New Zealand will serve as a precursor to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where Ashwin hopes to continue his dominance on Australian soil, where he has taken 39 wickets in 10 Tests.

With a strong support cast that includes Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Jadeja, and Axar Patel, Ashwin is poised for a stellar season ahead. The spinner is inching closer to securing his legacy as one of the greatest Test bowlers of all time, with the World Test Championship Final at Lord's as a possible crowning achievement.