Preview: Australia vs England - Ashes second Test prediction, squads, start time, Gabba pitch lowdown

England will look to level the 2025-26 Ashes series when they face Australia in the second Test in Brisbane.

Meanwhile, the hosts will go a significant way to retaining the urn if they pick up the win in the day-night Test, which will get underway on Thursday. 

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Match preview

England have had plenty of time to reflect upon the first Test after they slumped to a defeat in two days in Perth last month.

The tourists appeared to be in a strong position at lunch on day two, when they were leading by 99 with nine wickets in hand in their second innings.

However, they collapsed to set a target just over 200, which was made to look measly by Travis Head's explosive batting.

Head, who was promoted to open for the injured Usman Khawaja, knocked off 123 from 83 deliveries to stun England and steer his country to an eight-wicket win.

England will be desperate to produce a response in the day-night Test at the Gabba, although that will be easier said than done, considering that they have not beaten Australia in an Ashes Test at the venue since 1986.

The tourists also struggle in pink-ball games, having lost five of their previous seven experiences of day-night Tests.

If Ben Stokes's side are to win in Brisbane, their batters will have to learn from their mistakes in Perth, especially Joe Root, who fell for a duck and eight runs in his two innings as his bid to score his first Ashes hundred in Australia got off to a poor start.

As for Australia, they would have been delighted to win the opening game without two of their three premium fast bowlers in Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. 

Left-armer Mitchell Starc led the attack superbly with seven wickets in the first innings and three in England's second attempt.

Starc will be relishing the opportunity to get his hands on the pink ball, having taken 81 wickets in 14 day-night Tests at an average of 17.08.

Impressively, Australia have won 12 of the 13 pink-ball Tests they have played on home soil, including victories in all three day-night games against England.

However, their only loss in a home day-night Test took place in Brisbane in January 2024, when they fell to a dramatic eight-run defeat against the West Indies.

In fact, Australia have lost two of their last four Tests (red and pink ball) at the Gabba after previously enjoying a formidable run of seven consecutive Test victories at the venue.

While their recent dip in form in Brisbane may be a slight cause for concern, the hosts will still fancy their chances of going 2-0 up in the series, especially as they have won 14 of their last 16 Ashes Tests on home turf. 

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Squad News

Khawaja has been ruled out of the second Test through injury after struggling with back spasms in Perth.

After opening in the second innings at Perth Stadium, Head is set to walk out alongside Jake Weatherald when Australia bat in Brisbane.

That will open the space for all-rounder Beau Webster or Yorkshire-born Josh Inglis to come into the Australian XI.

Hazlewood remains sidelined with a hamstring problem, while Cummins is currently set to miss another Test match.

The Australian skipper has been left out of the squad, although he has been training in Brisbane and could return to the team if he proves his fitness in time. 

As for England, Mark Wood played in Perth after recovering from surgery on his left knee, only for an issue to flare up ahead of the game in Brisbane.

The knee problem will stop the pace bowler from featuring at the Gabba, and rather than bringing in Josh Tongue as his replacement, England will field the spin option of Will Jacks.

Twenty-seven-year-old Jacks has been given the nod ahead of Shoaib Bashir due to the fact that he will add depth to England's batting order.

Jack is the only change for the day-night encounter, meaning that opener Zak Crawley will get another chance despite falling for a pair in the first Test. 

Australia squad:

Steve Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Alex Carey (wk), Jake Weatherald, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser

England team:

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

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When will the second Ashes test start?

The day-night match in Brisbane will get underway on Thursday (December 4) at 2pm local time, which will be an early rise of 4am for UK viewers.

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Gabba pitch update

The second Test of the 2025-26 series will take place at the Gabba, which can hold up to 37,000 spectators. 

There has been a suggestion that the ground staff could produce a batter-friendly deck, although the surface should still offer considerable bounce.

Furthermore, there should also be lateral movement in the air when each day's play reaches the twilight period. 

The humidity in Brisbane could also play a role in getting the pink ball to talk, ensuring that there will be another tough examination for the England batters. 

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We say: Australia to win

England needs to beat Australia in Brisbane to have a realistic chance of winning an Ashes series down under for the first time since 2010-11.

However, they have not won an away Ashes Test since that series, and taking into account Australia's strong record in day-night Tests, we think that the hosts will emerge victorious at the Gabba.

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