England's middle-order engine is world-class, but Australia's worryingly quiet before Ashes 2025

Travis Head, Harry Brook & Joe Root (Source: AFP Photos)

The Ashes 2025 is set to begin on November 21, as England will be up against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The anticipation is building up, but the host team might not be too thrilled.

Since the end of the Ashes 2023, a quiet revolution has taken place in Test cricket’s middle order, and it’s happening in England’s dressing room.

For years, Australia’s engine room was the benchmark, as Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Travis Head formed a core capable of grinding or dominating any attack.

England, on the other hand, often lurched between instability and reinvention. But the post-2023 numbers flip that script entirely.

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England’s middle order has surged since 2023

(Table - England's best middle-order partnerships since Ashes 2023)

Interestingly, five of the world’s top 12 run-scoring middle-order partnerships since the Ashes 2023 are English. 

Not one, not two, but five. And their consistency tells a story of teamwork, understanding, and a system of 'Bazball' under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum that has allowed players to flourish rather than merely survive.

Leading the pack is the formidable Joe Root-Harry Brook pairing with 1,470 runs at 73.50, the highest anywhere in the world. 

Closely behind sits another purely English duo that is Pope-Root. While not as explosive, they’ve steadied England on numerous occasions. The next in the English lineup is Root–Stokes, a partnership built on grit and big-moment temperament. 

Add Brook-Smith and Pope-Brook to that period, and suddenly England have a middle-order framework unmatched anywhere.

This isn’t a coincidence. It mirrors England’s broader shift in philosophy, where players were given clarity, licence, and trust. There’s also continuity. Joe Root is the anchor, Brook the accelerator, Pope the stabiliser, and Stokes the enforcer. 

Each role is clear. Each partnership is rehearsed. And the output shows.

Australia, in contrast, has regressed 

(Table - Australia best middle-order partnership since Ashes 2023)

Australia’s story, however, is the opposite. Their best middle-order pairing in the same period is Steve Smith-Travis Head, sitting way down at 22nd in the world with 426 runs at 38.72, a respectable return, but nowhere close to the elite tier where they once lived comfortably. 

Smith isn’t the run-machine he was five years ago, Head blows hot and cold, Labuschagne’s decline has been sharp, and Green’s resurgence, though promising, hasn’t always translated into sustained middle-order solidity. 

Partnerships, the heartbeat of Test batting, have become fleeting instead of foundational. And that’s precisely where the gulf lies.

Condition is the key differentiator 

One thing that could explain the gulf is the condition difference. Australian pitches tend to be harder and bouncier, thanks to a higher clay content in the soil. 

This extra clay means the ball hits the surface faster and climbs more, giving fast bowlers more opportunity for pace and carry. 

In contrast, English grounds often have moist, grassy surfaces. The soil is less clay-heavy, and the grass layer helps the ball seam and swing early on. 

In England, Test matches typically use the Duke balls. However, since Bazball came into the picture, the conditions of balls have deteriorated, and batting has become easier. 

So in a nutshell, England pitches have been upright flat since the last couple of years, while the Aussie surfaces still continue to assist bowlers heavily.

What’s in store for Ashes 2025?

Ahead of Ashes 2025, England enter with a middle order operating like a well-oiled machine with proven combinations, massive sample sizes, and partnerships that repeatedly win matches. 

Australia arrives with questions such as Who bats where? Who partners Smith? Can Head find consistency? Is Green a permanent answer or a temporary fix? Can Labuschagne rediscover his 2019 version?

Cricket is ultimately a team sport played in pairs. And right now, England’s pairs are dominating the world while Australia’s are searching for identity.

If the Ashes are won in the middle overs of a Test, England have taken a giant leap. Australia? They’re staring at a gap that’s growing wider with every partnership chart released.

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