AUS vs ENG: England Playing XI announced for second Ashes Test

Taking a blow to their pace arsenal ahead of the pink-ball Test in Brisbane, the visitors have opted to fortify their batting frontier instead. The Ashes opened with the hosts defeating England within two days, as Travis Head powered Australia to a thumping win with his century. England had no one playing the role that Head did for Australia, while Mitchell Starc tore through their batting order in Perth. Moving forward, the challenges are only expected to mount further for the visitors as the AUS vs ENG series shifts to Brisbane. Meanwhile, with Mark Wood sitting out of the combination due to a knee injury, Will Jacks has been named in the England Playing XI for the second Ashes Test.

Will Jacks drafted into England Playing XI as Mark Wood misses second Ashes Test

Will Jacks is set for his return to the longer format in the second Ashes Test, which begins on 4 December in Brisbane. Mark Wood has been officially ruled out of the match after reportedly sustaining a knee injury in the lead-up to the fixture. Meanwhile, the visitors have opted to draft Jacks into the England Playing XI for the pink-ball Test in an attempt to strengthen their batting lineup. As for Australia, Usman Khawaja has been confirmed to miss the upcoming fixture, as the veteran has failed to recover from the back injury he sustained during the Perth Test.

England’s decision to field an all-seam attack in the Perth Test backfired, with the contest wrapping up inside two days, largely due to the counterTravis Head’s counterattacking second-innings hundred. Their plans for Brisbane took another hit when Mark Wood picked up a knee injury in the build-up, ruling him out of the day-night Test. Although many believed Josh Tongue would slot in as the like-for-like replacement, the visitors have instead chosen to bolster their batting depth by recalling Will Jacks.

The inclusion of Jacks not only lengthens England’s batting order but also brings a contrasting skill set with his off-spin, adding variety to an otherwise pace-heavy attack. With his reputation mostly being built in white-ball cricket, the all-rounder has featured in only two Tests, scoring 89 runs. His red-ball credentials, however, include a memorable debut in Pakistan, where he impressed with a five-wicket haul.

Across 57 first-class matches, Jacks has accumulated 2,591 runs at an average of 34.54, along with 49 wickets at 42.22. England’s struggles with the bat in the Perth Test included two collapses that erased the advantage gained by bowling Australia out for just 132 in the first innings. The subpar perfomance highlighted the need for a sturdier middle order.

The visitors' total of 172 and 164 proved inadequate in the Ashes opener, and Australia chased down the 205-run target in only 28.2 overs, courtesy of Head’s blistering 123 off 83 balls. As for the pink-ball Test, despite recent concerns over form, the guests have retained faith in Zak Crawley in the England Playing XI, while Jamie Smith continues behind the stumps for the second Test. Stokes will be assisted by Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Gus Atkinson.

As for the hosts, Usman Khawaja has been ruled out with a back injury. The veteran opener, who made contentious comments about the quality of the Perth pitch after the Ashes opener, has now been confirmed unavailable after days of uncertainty. In his absence, Travis Head is likely to move up the order, while Australia may bring in Josh Inglis to fill the void in the Playing XI for the Brisbane Test.

England Playing XI for the second Ashes Test

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer