England have booked an extra training session in Brisbane ahead of the second Ashes Test as they look to bounce back from a two-day slump in the series opener in Perth.
The tourists announced on Monday that no first-choice players will travel to Canberra this weekend for the pink-ball tour game against the Prime Minister’s Eleven, with only batsman Jacob Bethell and seamers Josh Tan and Matthew Potts joining the Lions group.
The England squad will spend five days together in Brisbane ahead of the day-night Test at The Gabba from December 4, with an optional training slot on Saturday and a build-up session on Sunday.
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Stuart Broad reflects on England’s collapse in the first Ashes Test against Australia and what exactly went wrong to throw away their chances of victory
Saturday morning’s session will take place at Allan Border Field, with the remaining four training sessions from Sunday to Wednesday taking place at The Gabba.
“We’re thinking about what we’re going to do in Brisbane,” captain Ben Stokes told a Channel 7 reporter as a camera crew greeted the England team as they arrived in Queensland from Western Australia.
Joe Root added: “We are preparing as well as we can and looking forward to the next game.”
Joe Root scored 0 and 8 in the Perth Test.
England suffered their 14th defeat in their last 16 Test matches in Australia, with 172 and 164 in Perth. The remaining two games between them were draws.
Hussain: England are ‘not arrogant’ to miss tour matches
Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain said of England sitting in the first team for the pink-ball match in Canberra.
“It’s not about arrogance.
“They could have played with the pink ball, but if you listen to the Australians here, the Gabba is very different to Canberra, which is slow and sluggish.
“At The Gabba, England will be practicing with a pink ball under the lights, in a net, to get used to the conditions.
England captain Ben Stokes batting in the nets
“I’ve heard things like, ‘If we go to Brisbane and lose, we’re going to be in trouble, so we’ve got to go and play those two-day games.’
“But you don’t do something because you feel bad if you lose. You do something because you think that’s the best way to prepare your team to win.”
“They decided the best way to prepare was under the lights of the Gabba nets.”
Head fears he has angered England’s bowlers
Australia were set for 205 to win at Optus Stadium, their highest total for a low-scoring match, and raced there for an eight-wicket win in 28.2 overs, with makeshift opener Travis Head scoring 69 Boulton, the second-fastest Boulton of the Ashes, and 123 off 83 deliveries.
Head told Australian radio station Triple M’s show on Thursday that he was wary of upsetting England’s fast bowlers early in the five-Test series.
Travis Head smashes 123 off 83 balls as Australia win the first Ashes Test on the second day.
“At one point I accidentally hit Jofra (Archer) six times over the head and calmly stepped back and thought, ‘Oh my god, why did I do that?'” the left-hander said.
“Marnus (Labuscanu) came down (to the pitch) and was like, ‘I know you’re trying to act cool, but I can’t believe it.’ He was screaming, screaming, whoo-hah.”
“I’m like, ‘Hey, get back to the other end, the second they can hole me, they bowl 150 clicks.'”
On England’s choice to leave senior players out of this weekend’s pink-ball clash, Head added: “You have to respect the fact that they were a very good team. I think they have a plan and they are doubling down.”
“Credit to them. They live by the sword or die by the sword. We’ll see what happens to us in Brisbane.”
Harry Brook sacks a duck in the bottom of England’s second innings at Optus Stadium
Ashes Series in Australia 2025-26
always UK and Ireland
1st test (Perth – 21st to 25th November): Australia defeats England by 8 wickets 2nd Test (day/night): Thursday 4th December to Monday 8th December (4am) – The Gabba, Brisbane 3rd Test : Wednesday 17 December – Sunday 21 December (11:30pm) – Adelaide Oval Fourth Test: Thursday 25 December – Monday 29 December (11:30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground 5th Test: Sunday 4 January to Thursday 8 January (11:30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground
