The Ashes Series 2025-26: Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has argued that England’s baseball approach was specifically designed to win the Ashes in Australia. The Ashes series between the two countries is going to start from 21st November. Ricky Ponting told ‘7News’ that England’s aggressive style under the leadership of coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes has always been focused on mastering Australian conditions.

Ponting gave statement on baseball

Ricky Ponting said, “England is a team that has been together for the last two years (after the 2023 Ashes). They are preparing for the Ashes. I know Brendon very well, baseball was designed just for this one series. Forget whatever happened in the last two years. It was all about putting together a team and a style of play that could win Test matches in Australia. England have won Test matches in Australia in the last 25 years. They have done this only four times, they have to win at least three matches in this series, so I am curious to see how they play.

What will be England’s plan in the Ashes?

The 2023 Ashes began with a signal of England’s intent. Australia had deployed a deep backward point for the initial overs at Edgbaston, but despite this, Jack Crawley hit a four over cover. Ponting hopes that England will continue this aggressive approach throughout the summer. He said, “I don’t think they will change. I have seen them a lot in the last two years. I know they will play the same way. Ben Duckett and Jack Crawley will play the same way they have always played. If they can do that, England will win the toss and elect to bowl and will be confident of scoring more runs in the fourth innings than the opposition did in the first innings.”

Which team scored most runs on the first day of a Test Match: On December 1, 2022, England’s batsmen had created history at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Pakistan. England had created a new world record by scoring more than 500 runs against Pakistan on the very first day. This was the first time in the history of Test cricket that a team had crossed the mark of 500 runs on the very first day. This team, captained by Ben Stokes, had thrashed the Pakistani bowlers while batting like T20.

112 year old record broken in test cricket

England broke Australia’s 112-year-old record, which was made by Australia in 1910 against South Africa in Sydney. In that match, Australia had scored 494 runs on the very first day. The England team had scored 506 runs at the loss of 4 wickets in only 75 overs. England’s run rate in the entire day’s play was around 6.74, which was an incredible feat for any team in Test cricket.

Four batsmen of England scored centuries

In this Test match played between England and Pakistan, four England batsmen scored centuries, which was another world record for the first day of Test cricket. This was the first time in the history of Test cricket that four batsmen of a team had scored centuries on the very first day. Names of four batsmen who scored centuries in this match are:

1- Jack Crowley

England’s right-handed opening batsman Jack Crawley played a explosive inning of 122 runs in 111 balls in this match.

2- Ben Duckett

This left-handed opening batsman of England played an excellent inning of 107 runs in 110 balls in this match.

3- Ollie Pope

England’s wicketkeeper batsman Ollie Pope played a brilliant inning of 108 runs in 104 balls in this match.

4- Harry Brook

England’s middle-order batsman Harry Brook played an explosive inning of 101 unbeaten runs on only 81 balls in this match.