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“Perth is the most…,”: Ian Healy gives bold advice for England ahead of Ashes series

Arunima Purohit

England team [Source: @ICC/X]England team [Source: @ICC/X]

England are all set to travel to Australia to play the 5-match Ashes series, starting on November 21. This series is crucial for England since they are in the 5th position of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table with just two wins in five matches. Meanwhile, Australia are leading the table with three consecutive wins.

Former Australian cricketer Ian Healy made some bold predictions and gave some tips to England ahead of the Ashes. England’s last series against India wasn’t an impressive one but the players are in top-notch form which might be a positive takeaway for the team.

Ian Healy advices England to focus on Perth Test

Interestingly, England’s last Ashes win in Australia came in 2010-11 which is a long time ago. Since then, they have struggled to defeat the opponents. Healy suggested them to focus on the Perth Test, the first match of the series, as that is most likely to be the deciding factor of the series as well.

“England will win a Test... (But) you will see how you look when you’re underdone in Perth – I hope England watch it. It was swinging and bouncing. All the batsmen were playing outrageous shots and getting caught. England, watch out, you’re doing the same thing. They’re coming in underdone, and our fast bowlers looked fresh and sharp last night (in the ODI against India). Are England going to win a Test? Yes, but I think it will be close, maybe 2-2. Perth is the most important Test. If England loses in Perth, they will lose 3-1. Win in Perth it’s 2-2," Healy said on SENQ Breakfast.

Can England break their losing streak against Australia in Ashes?

Since 14 years, England have not won an Ashes series in Australia. Moreover, they last won the Ashes back in 2015. While there are multiple reasons behind their failure, the batting performance and the ability to play pace and bounce has been the most prominent one. Surprisingly, England have not qualified for the WTC Finals since the inception of the tournament.

Hence, this series will be of utmost importance to them. Australia’s bowling line-up is quite strong with the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. If the English batters manage to perform well, especially in the top-order, they might have a chance to break their streak in the upcoming Ashes 2025-26.