The Ashes: Decoding Australia's record on English soil

Australia, the incumbent ICC World Test Champions, will look to carry this momentum when they meet England for the five-match Ashes series. The much-awaited series will start on June 16 at Edgbaston. Australia will be keen to retain the Ashes urn, whereas England's revamped attacking style will be a point of concern for Pat Cummins and his men. Here we decode their stats.

Why does this story matter?

Australia thrashed England 4-0 in the 2021-22 Ashes series, and this time, they will look to defend the urn. The Aussies have a pretty good record on English soil. They recently won the WTC Final against India and will be brimming with confidence ahead of the Ashes. They held England to a 2-2 draw in their last away Ashes series in 2019.

How did the last Ashes series pan out?

Australia were all over England in the 2021-22 Ashes series at home. They thrashed the Three Lions 4-0. The hosts won the first three matches by massive margins. However, England somewhat retaliated with a draw in Sydney. The Australians finished the series with a 146-run victory in Hobart. Australia ended up with a 2-2 draw on their last visit to England in 2019.

Australia's record against England on English soil (Tests)

Australia have fared well in England against the home team. There's hardly anything to separate the two teams in the head-to-head record. In 171 clashes between the two teams, Australia emerged victorious 51 times, while England have a slight edge with 53 wins. Notably, 67 Tests have ended in a draw. No other team visiting teams have won more Test matches on English soil.

Australia's overall Test record in England

The Aussies have a decent overall record in England in the longest format of the game. They have won 55 Tests on English soil out of total 177 Test matches. They have managed 68 draws and suffered 54 losses.

Australian key performers in away Ashes (active cricketers)

In 14 away Ashes Tests, Steve Smith has slammed 1,627 runs at an impressive average of 65.08. His tally includes six fifties and as many centuries. Nathan Lyon will be key as he has accumulated 45 wickets in 13 away Ashes matches at 31.62. His tally includes a solitary fifer. David Warner has amassed 651 runs in 13 away Ashes Tests at 26.04.

A look at the overall Ashes numbers

Overall, the two teams have clashed in 356 Test matches, and Australia are ahead of their rivals by a decent margin. The Aussies have registered 150 wins, while England have managed only 120 victories. 96 Test matches have ended in a draw. Since the turn of the century, Australia have emerged victorious 33 times. They also secured 10 draws and suffered 17 defeats.