With the conclusion of England‘s enthralling Test series against India, cricketing attention has already shifted to the impending Ashes 2025-26 series in Australia. In a significant piece of analysis, former Australian captain and legendary batsman Ricky Ponting has offered his perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of both teams.
Ponting’s remarks, delivered with his characteristic candor, have focused on what he believes is the most crucial factor for England’s success, the performance of their dynamic opening pair, while also revealing a surprising level of uncertainty surrounding Australia’s own top-order lineup.
Ricky Ponting picks 2 England players who hold the key to their Ashes 2025-26 campaign
Ponting is adamant that the fortunes of England’s Ashes campaign will rest on the shoulders of their openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. He firmly believes that their aggressive, high-risk ‘Bazball’ approach is not just a style but a strategic necessity for the team. Ponting said to The Times: “I think they can [play a similar way in Australia], and they will definitely try… It’s the way they naturally play and it’s the way the coaches and captain want them to play. It’s the way they need to play, it just sets up everything for England, putting immediate pressure back on the bowlers,”
Ponting’s analysis highlights how this aggressive strategy, which was on full display in the Oval Test where the openers put on a 92-run stand, can be used to unsettle Australia’s bowlers on their home turf. He emphasized that this approach forces the opposition to adapt quickly and that if the pair can perform well at the top, it will provide a crucial platform for the rest of the team. “They probably hold the key in Australia. If they can bat really well at the top, and set things up, that will give them a good chance in the series,” Ponting added.
This view is supported by their impressive statistical record since the McCullum-Stokes era began, as they are the only opening pair to have scored over 2,000 runs in Tests during that time, maintaining an impressive average of 46.5.
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The uncertainty plaguing Australia’s batting order for the Ashes 2025-26
While Ponting believes England’s opening pair will be the key to their success, he has also pointed to a surprising amount of uncertainty within Australia’s batting lineup. Despite being the reigning champions, Ponting suggests the home side is not as settled as one might assume, particularly at the top of the order. Ponting noted that the opening rounds of the Sheffield Shield competition will be paramount in determining the final selections.
“There’s probably more uncertainty about the Australian line-up. They’ve been talking at home about how important the first few rounds of Sheffield Shield cricket are going to be for those top-order batters. The bowling group will look after itself,”
He specifically mentioned that players like Marnus Labuschagne might be considered for an opening role if the current options, such as Sam Konstas or Usman Khawaja, do not perform well in the early domestic matches. Ponting also touched upon the position of Cameron Green, who is now back in the side at number three and is bowling again, though he questioned how much the team would require him to bowl given the presence of all-rounders like Beau Webster.
“Marnus [Labuschagne] will be in the mix and they might go back to him as an opener if it doesn’t work out for [Sam] Konstas, or even [Usman] Khawaja, in the early rounds of Shield cricket. Cameron Green is back in the side at three and is bowling again, although I’m not sure how much they’ll want him to do. With Beau Webster in the side, they don’t really need him as much as they used to. Australia are going to have a lot of options with the ball,” Ponting concluded.
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