Stuart Broad Warns England Must Win 1st Test To Have Ashes Chance

Former England bowler Stuart Broad warned that England must win the first Test to have a realistic chance of winning.

Former England bowler Stuart Broad has cautioned that England must assert their dominance early in the Ashes series in Australia. He warned that failure to do so could lead to another defeat.

England’s last Ashes victory was in 2015. They have not won a series in Australia since 2011. Australia has won the last three home Ashes series by dominant margins.

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This series will not open at the traditional Gabba ground in Brisbane. Instead, it will begin in Perth. England’s last win at The Gabba was in 1986.

“England have to win the first Test to stand a chance of winning the Ashes. Our record’s shocking at the Gabba. That’s why it’s a small advantage that the first Test isn’t there this time… I think it will all be on the first two Test matches, if I’m honest. If England don’t get anything out of the first two, then that’s a major problem because in Australia, the energy, the flow of the whole country will build up and then you’re fighting a bit of a losing battle,” Broad was quoted as saying on the ‘Odds Law’ podcast.

England’s Pace Attack for the Ashes

England enters the series with one of their fastest bowling lineups in years. The pace attack includes Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Brydon Carse. Captain Ben Stokes is also expected to bowl.

While attention is on Wood and Archer’s speed, Broad predicted a key role for Gus Atkinson. Atkinson joined the squad in 2024 and has taken 63 wickets in 13 Tests.

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“He hasn’t been talked about enough because everyone’s focusing on Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Ben Stokes returning to bowling. But I think Gus could be the one who becomes a mainstay of the attack. He could do really nicely in Australia and be that consistent bowler that Stokes can lean on to bowl a lot of overs. He’s got a nice, short stride pattern, can go through the gears, and can play a great supporting role to the quicker bowlers who might rotate through the series,” Broad added.