Match overview

Australia beat England by 8 wickets at Optus Stadium, Perth on 21 November 2025. Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets for 113 runs across the match and was named Player of the Match, his swing and pace leaving England's batters with few answers on either occasion. England won the toss and chose to bat, posting 172 in the first innings before Australia were bowled out for 132. England's second innings of 164 set a target of 205, which Australia chased down with only 2 wickets down. The result was never seriously in doubt once England failed to push beyond 164 in their second innings.

England's toss decision looked reasonable on paper. Optus Stadium's average first-innings score across 65 Tests is 179, suggesting the pitch tends to be at its most benign early on. But Starc found movement quickly, and England never built the substantial first-innings lead that might have put the match beyond Australia's reach. A 40-run first-innings deficit, combined with a second-innings total 15 runs short of their first, left too little for Australia to chase.

Australia's first innings collapse to 132 briefly threatened to make this a contest. That score gave England a 40-run cushion and the initiative heading into the third innings. England could not press the advantage. Their second innings of 164 was only slightly worse than their first, but at a venue where the chase success rate is 49 per cent across 65 matches, a target of 205 proved well within Australia's reach once their top order settled.

Venue and conditions

Optus Stadium in Perth has hosted 65 Test matches, and its numbers tell a consistent story about the balance of the contest. The average first-innings score is 179 and the average second-innings score is 152. That 27-run drop between innings suggests the pitch deteriorates meaningfully as a match progresses, rewarding sides who bat first and build large totals. Both teams in this match scored below those respective averages, which points to conditions that were more difficult for batting throughout.

Perth pitches are traditionally the fastest in Australia, producing significant pace and bounce from the WACA and now from Optus Stadium. The ground's relatively even chase success rate of 49 per cent reflects that chases are achievable when targets are modest, but the pitch has enough in it to keep bowlers competitive throughout all four innings. Australia's 205/2 in the final innings, well above the venue's second-innings average, suggests the surface had flattened considerably by that point.

How to watch

Ashe Test cricket between England and Australia is broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. The full five-day schedule is available via a Sky Sports subscription, with streaming options through Sky Go for existing subscribers or a NOW TV pass for those without a contract. For viewers without a subscription, BBC Radio's Test Match Special provides ball-by-ball commentary across every day of play, available on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and via the BBC Sounds app.

For this match, the Perth time zone (AWST) means day-one play begins at midnight UK time, so most live coverage will take place through the night. Highlights and morning reviews are available on Sky Sports from around 09:00 GMT.

Recent form

England arrived in Perth having lost three consecutive Tests against New Zealand in 2025, with one match producing no result and one win. It was not the form platform a touring side hopes to carry into an Ashes series. Three straight defeats in the same series pointed to structural issues with either the batting or bowling attack, and those problems were visible again in Perth.

Australia's recent form was similarly mixed. They lost two Tests to India in 2025 and won one, with two matches abandoned without result. Neither side came into this fixture riding a wave of momentum, but Australia's home record at Optus Stadium and Starc's fitness and form were always likely to tip the balance. The result extended Australia's Ashes head-to-head lead to 96 wins from 174 meetings, with England's only recent bright spot a 4-wicket win at the MCG earlier in the same Ashes cycle.