England begin their Ashes campaign in Perth on Friday, desperate to end a 15-Test winless run in Australia. Ben Stokes leads the side, while Steve Smith captains Australia in place of Pat Cummins. Injuries have reshaped both squads

Perth: The build-up to the Ashes series starting Friday began at the end of July 2023 following one of the more acrimonious Test cricket series between England and Australia.

Ben Stokes and his England lineup won that Test at The Oval in South London but it was not enough to reclaim the Ashes from the Aussies, who won the first two Tests and drew the fourth in a five-match series to retain the old urn.

Cue to Perth Stadium, Day 1 of a possible 25 spanning seven weeks and five cities.

There are some big questions in play. Can an ageing, understrength Austral

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