Ashes 2025 26

Few sporting rivalries evoke the drama, the history, or the ruthless pressure of The Ashes. As England board the long-haul flight to the Land Down Under for another crack at the urn, memories of their last triumph in 2010/11 fade further into the rearview mirror. Since that extraordinary tour, England have played 15 Ashes Tests on enemy territory, losing 13, drawing two, and seeing hope repeatedly slip through calloused fingers. 

Not once, since Andrew Strauss hoisted the urn in Sydney 15 years ago, have the English claimed a solitary test match victory Down Under. For Ben Stokes and his men, this winter isn’t just about reclaiming the Urn at long last; it’s about slaying ghosts, shattering streaks, and rewriting a narrative that’s grown wearier with every passing year.