Australia vs England – The Ashes 1st Test Match Preview & Prediction

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THE FACTS

When is Australia vs England taking place? Wednesday 8th December, 2020 – 00:00 (UK)

Where is Australia vs England taking place? The Gabba, Brisbane

What is the expected weather for Australia vs England? Temperatures in the late 20s throughout the Test with plenty of cloud coverage as well as potential thunderstorms during the first few days

What channel is Australia vs England on? The Ashes will be shown live on BT Sport

Where can I stream Australia vs England? The Ashes can be streamed live using the BT Sport website or app

Where can I get tickets for Australia vs England? Tickets for this match can be purchased here!

LAST MEETING
England beat Australia by 135 runs

THE TEAM NEWS

AUSTRALIA

• Australia will be confident of retaining the urn as the Ashes gets underway at the Gabba with the hosts starting as big favourites to come out on top of the five-match series and many harbour hopes of a 5-0 series whitewash.
• The Baggy Greens could only draw the series back in 2019 on English soil but it was enough to ensure the urn remained in Australia and despite suffering the loss of skipper Tim Paine because of his off-field conduct, the hosts look in very good shape with plenty of quality with both bat and ball.

ENGLAND

• England will be looking to win an Ashes series in Australia for the first time since 2010/11 as they aim to overcome their bitter rivals but they have it all to do with plenty of question marks surrounding the make-up and quality of their side.
• The tourists have been handed a huge boost with all-rounder Ben Stokes making himself available for the series having taken some time away from cricket to focus on his mental health but on the eve of the match, it looks as though Jimmy Anderson has been ruled out because of a calf strain in what is a devastating blow for England.

THE PREDICTION

England must get off to a good start in this opening Test of the Ashes in Brisbane if they are to stand any chance of reclaiming the urn. They have traditionally struggled on Australian soil and they come into this series as big underdogs. Australia look stronger than the tourists, especially in the batting department and if the English bowling unit do not take to the Australian conditions, it could be a bleak series for England. Skipper Joe Root will have a big part to play but he needs support and they will have to hope that Ben Stokes is in the right frame of mind to replicate the heroics he produced during the last Ashes series back in 2019. England will have fancied their chances at this venue with the pitch looking extremely appealing, especially to the likes of Jimmy Anderson whose ability to swing the ball could cause the hosts all sorts of problems but with the veteran looking set to miss this contest having suffered an injury on the eve of the game, it could be a blow that the tourists are unable to recover from and the hosts can take advantage. However, with the weather that is forecast likely to cause several disruptions to proceedings, it would be wise to back the Aussies draw no bet in case too much play is lost as a result of the poor conditions.