Australia cricket team is currently playing the Ashes series against England at home. Australia has taken a 2-0 lead by winning both the initial tests. Meanwhile, Australian team all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has taken a big decision, he has retired from red-ball cricket at the state level. Now he will not be seen playing in the Sheffield Shield tournament, he used to play for Western Australia.

After Mitchell Marsh’s retirement from red-ball cricket at the state level, questions have been raised about his future in Test cricket. Especially considering the Ashes series, in which he was expected to play but it did not happen.

Mitchell Marsh’s recent performance was not anything special, after which he informed his colleagues about his decision of retirement. Since 2019, Marsh has played only 9 matches at the state level. Although the reason for playing less matches is also his busy schedule, he is the main limited overs player and also plays in many T20 leagues around the world.

Mitchell Marsh made his debut for Western Australia in 2009. He said that now he wants to stay away from red ball cricket. However, he has not retired from Test cricket at the international level.

Mitchell Marsh’s big decision

If reports are to be believed, Mitchell Marsh has said that he is ready to participate in the Ashes series if the selectors call him. However, he also admitted that it is not easy to play another Test in the future. Let us tell you that last month Australia’s Chief Selector George Bailey had said that Marsh’s game can bring new energy to the Ashes. He had said that he is not being tried in the beginning of the series but there may be a change later depending on the situation.

mitchell marsh test career

Mitchell Marsh has played 46 matches in his Test career, in which he scored 2083 runs in 80 innings. In this format he has played 9 half-centuries and 3 century innings. Apart from this, he has played 99 ODI and 81 T20 International matches for Australia, in which he has scored 3098 and 2083 runs respectively.

Australia has defeated England by 8 wickets in the second test match. In the second Ashes Test played at Gabba, Australia had a target of only 65 runs, which it achieved by losing only 2 wickets. Now the Kangaroos have taken a 2-0 lead over England in the five-match series. In this match, Joe Root scored the first Test century on Australian soil.

Earlier in the Perth Test also, Australia had won by 8 wickets. Thanks to Joe Root’s unbeaten 138 runs in the Gabba Test, England had scored 334 runs in the first innings. In reply, Australia scored 511 runs, giving it a huge lead of 177 runs in the first innings. For Australia, no batsman scored a century in the first innings, but Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Jack Weatherald, Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc scored half-centuries.

To stay in the match, England had to score a big score in the second innings, but wickets kept falling one by one and the team collapsed for 241 runs in the second innings. In the second innings, Ben Stokes contributed 50 runs and Will Jacques contributed 41 runs. In this way Australia got the target of only 65 runs.

Steve Smith created a ruckus

Chasing the small target of 65 runs, Australia lost the first wicket for 37 runs and the second wicket just four runs later. Steve Smith came to bat at fourth position, who scored 23 runs in 9 balls while playing at a stormy strike rate of 255. By hitting 2 fours and 2 sixes, he ensured Australia’s victory in the Gabba Test.

Mitchell Starc became the player of the match, who took 6 wickets in the first innings and 2 wickets in the second innings. Starc is the bowler taking the most wickets in this series so far. He has taken 18 wickets in 2 matches, whereas Brayden Kars, who is at number two, has been able to take only 9 wickets so far.

The second Test of the Ashes series 2025-26 between Australia and England is being played at The Gabba Stadium in Brisbane. This is a day-night test being played with pink ball, in which three days of play has ended and Australia has maintained a strong hold. By the end of the day’s play, England had scored 134 runs after losing 6 wickets. The team is still 43 runs behind Australia.

The third day started with Australia’s first innings, Alex Carey (46) and Michael Neser (15) took the innings to 378/6. Neser was able to add only 1 run and was out on the ball of Ben Stokes after scoring 16 runs. Carey completed his half-century, scoring 63 runs in 69 balls with the help of 6 fours.

Mitchell Starc created history

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc not only did wonders in bowling, he also performed brilliantly with the bat. Mitchell Starc faced 141 balls and scored 77 runs with the help of 13 fours. He became the second player in the history of the World Test Championship to complete 1000 runs along with 200 wickets. Before him, Pat Cummins had done this.

Starc was dismissed by Brayden Carse. After this, Will Jacques ended the Australian innings in the form of Brendan Doggett (13). Australia scored 511 runs in the first innings and took a lead of 177 runs.

For England today, Gus Atkinson, Ben Stokes, Braydon Carse and Will Jacques took 1 wicket each. 5 Australian batsmen (Jake Weatherald, Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc) scored half-centuries in the first innings.

England’s middle order flopped in the second innings too

In the second innings of England, Jack Crawley and Ben Duckett made a partnership of 48 runs for the first wicket, Duckett was bowled by Scott Boland after scoring 15 runs. After this there was a partnership of 42 runs between Crawley and Ollie Pope. Pope (26) was dismissed by Michael Neser. Joe Root (15), who scored a century in the first innings, flopped in the second innings and was made his victim by Mitchell Starc.

After this, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith also returned to the pavilion in a gap of 4 overs. Brook (15) was dismissed by Boland and Smith (4) was dismissed by Mitchell Starc. By the end of the third day’s play, England had scored 134 runs after losing 6 wickets, still England were 43 runs behind. There is 98 percent chance that Australia will win this match.

Glenn McGrath Prediction on Ashes Series 2025: The Ashes series between Australia and England is more than three months to start 2025 and before that the series has started to be conferred. Australia cricket veteran fast bowler Glenn McGraw has predicted the Ashes series between Australia and England only after the Tendulkar-Anderson series between India and England.

Glenn McGrag’s prediction

Australian legendary player Glenn McGrag said on BBC radio that I do not predict mostly, but my affliction about Ashes is that this time Australia is going to win this series 5-0 this time. Glenn Macgra further said that I have full faith in my team. This team of Australia has many players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lion, who are performing better on their land. With this, England’s record in Australia is not good.

Ashes series between Australia-England

England’s team is going to go for the five -match Test series at the end of 2025 this year, but the figures of this series are nothing special for England. England has not won the Ashes series since 2015. England won the last Test series 3–1 in Australia in 2010-11. If seen, England has won the Ashes series only once in Australia in the last 23-24 years.

2-2 equals with India

The five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between India and England ended at a 2–2 par. In the last and fifth Tests, England had a chance to win the series 3–1, but India took the match of England and drawn the series.

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