The impending Ashes 2025-26 series, commencing in Perth on November 21st, 2025, sets the stage for a compelling individual showdown between Joe Rootthe prolific English maestro, and Scott Bolandthe accurate Australian fast-bowler.

This match-up embodies the series’ tension: Root, the world’s premier Test batter, attempting to break his elusive century drought in Australia, versus Boland, the home-turf specialist, intent on proving his 2023 English struggles were an anomaly. Their rivalry has already been sharply divided by geography, and the return to Australia will test Root’s ‘Bazball’ aggression against Boland’s relentless line.

Joe Root: Formidable run-machine targeting the final frontier

Root will enter the Ashes with a towering reputation, underpinned by a year-long purple patch that has seen him cement his position as the world’s top-ranked Test batter. His last series, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against India in July 2025, was a masterclass in scoring, where he amassed 459 runs across five Tests at a remarkable average of 57.37, including three stunning centuries.

Root’s form in the Bazball era has been defined by his willingness to attack and score quickly, but also his ability to revert to rock-solid defence when required, a versatility that has seen him accumulate over 13,000 career runs. Despite this global dominance, the Australian grounds remain his final frontier, where his career average dips to 35.68 and a Test century remains cruelly absent across 14 matches. The Australian media has already attempted to rattle him by labelling him Average Joe in Australia, setting the stage for Root to silence his critics with a performance that could define his legacy.

Root enters the Ashes as the No. 1 ranked Test batter in the world, having enjoyed a historically prolific 2024 and maintained his form into 2025.

• Year 2025 Form: Root has been in magnificent touch, scoring three centuries in his last series against India at home, including a spectacular 150 in Manchester. This form has propelled him to the verge of breaking multiple Test records.
• Last Series Highlight: In the five-Test series against India in July 2025, Root was the difference-maker, adapting his aggressive ‘Bazball’ style with periods of anchor play. He registered scores of 104, 150, and 105, showcasing his ability to handle quality spin and pace.
• The Australian Challenge: Despite his phenomenal global record (13,543 Test runs, 39 centuries), Root is yet to score a Test century in Australia, where his average dips to 35.68. His tendency to play the ball late, often gliding it behind square, becomes risky on the fast, bouncy Australian pitches, which can lead to dismissals via the keeper or slips.

Scott Boland: The home-grown threat with a point to prove

Scott Boland is the epitome of a home-ground specialist, whose inclusion for the Perth Test is vital given the injuries to senior Australian quicks. While he struggled in the 2023 Ashes in England, taking wickets at an expensive cost, his record on Australian soil is simply phenomenal, boasting 49 wickets in 9 home Tests at an average of just 12.63.

Boland’s recent competitive action came in the Frank Worrell Trophy in July 2025where he secured 6 wickets in his single Test appearance against the West Indies, highlighted by him becoming the first Indigenous Australian to claim a Test match hat-trick.

His game relies on metronomic accuracy, challenging the batters’ stumps and nicking the outside edge with subtle seam movement extracted from the firm Australian pitches. Boland has acknowledged he has a point to prove after the English media dismissed him as no fear to the English batters, and his immediate objective is to exploit Root’s tendency to play the ball late and guide it behind the slips on these quicker surfaces.

Boland is renowned for his metronomic accuracy and remarkable strike rate on Australian soil. His spot in the XI for the 1st Test in Perth is virtually guaranteed due to injuries to key quicks, giving him an immediate shot at the Root wicket.

• Year 2025 Form: Boland has proven his international class in 2025. In his last Test appearance in the West Indies, he took 6 wickets in the match, including a hat-trick, demonstrating that his skills translate, although his primary value remains in Australia.
• Last Series Highlight: His performance in the Caribbean was capped by him becoming the first Indigenous Australian to claim a Test match hat-trick. He is now focused on the home conditions where his record is outrageous (49 wickets in 9 home Tests at an average of 12.63).
• The 2023 Ashes Struggle: Boland struggled in the 2023 Ashes in England, taking just 2 wickets in 2 Tests at an average of 115.50. He has openly admitted he has a “point to prove” this series, determined to show his struggles in England were an anomaly and that his length and relentless pressure remain the biggest threat on the fast Australian decks.

Joe Root vs. Scott Boland Head-to-Head (Test Cricket)

Head-to-Head Battle: Joe Root vs. Scott Boland

The contest between Joe Root and Scott Boland in Test cricket has been a dynamic one, sharply contrasting their encounters in the 2021-22 Ashes in Australia with the Bazball dominated 2023 series in England. Overall, Boland has successfully dismissed Root 4 times across their meetings, which is a strong result for the Australian pacer.

• Australian Dominance (2021-2022): This period marked Boland’s clear superiority. In 2022 alone, Boland took Root’s wicket 4 times while conceding only 11 runs off 41 balls, reducing Root’s average against him to a staggeringly low 3.7. Boland’s relentless accuracy, hitting the ‘Test match line-and-length’ with subtle seam movement on Australian pitches, proved highly effective against the former England captain. This phase underpins why the Australian team still views Root’s wicket as their most prized scalp.
• English Aggression (2023): The dynamic shifted completely during the 2023 Ashes. Embracing the aggressive approach, Root managed to neutralize Boland’s threat, scoring 63 runs off just at a high strike rate of 84.0 without being dismissed once by the Victorian pacer. This suggests that the ‘Bazball’ approach, where Root often looks to score quickly and disrupt the bowler’s rhythm, proved successful in negating Boland’s consistent line and length.