Ashes 2025-26: England unveil their eleventh player for the Boxing Day Test; no room for Ollie Pope and Jofra Archer

The Ash 2025-26 intensifies with the fourth Test in between Australia And England takes place on December 26 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, with England trailing 3-0 after defeats in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. Captain Ben Stokes‘side faces a ‘must-win’ scenario to avoid a whitewash, with the MCG expected to host record crowds on a pitch curator Matt Page has prepared for balanced matches, comparable to last year’s thriller. Two key changes signal England’s desperation: Explosive pacer Jofra Sagittariustheir standout performer with nine wickets in this series, is ruled out for the tour due to a left-hand strain sustained in Adelaide while struggling Ollie Pope is dropped after a total of just 125 runs at 20.83 in six innings

Ashes 2025-26: Ollie Pope and Jofra Archer left out of Boxing Day Test during XI

England’s new-look XI drops Pope as rising star Jacob Bethelwho despite limited first-class hundreds finds himself at number three for his fifth Test cap, bringing white-ball flair after captaining in T20Is. Surrey sailor Guus Atkinson returns to partner Brydon Carse at the top, replacing Archer after missing Adelaide, with Will Jacks retained as a spin-bowling all-rounder Shoaib Bashir.

Stokes praised Archer’s “exceptional‘ impact and supported the new attack, emphasizing resilience amid off-field noise Ben Duckett‘s ECB investigation into a viral video. Bethell’s inclusion carries weight, with his recent Lions form and T20 prowess aiming to stabilize the top spot against Australia’s likely changes, including Steve Smith captain without injuries Pat Cummins And Nathan Lyon. Fresh from strong county spells, Atkinson strengthens a pace-heavy unit on a medium-competitive scoring MCG surface, where pacers thrive early before batters dominate.

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Ashes 2025-26: High stakes at the iconic MCG venue

With Australia set to clinch the urn early, England channels Bazball aggression to spark a revival and leans into the situation Joe Root And Harry Brook‘s consistency amid the series’ at-bats collapses. The MCG’s Boxing Day spectacle, which will be broadcast worldwide, promises fireworks, with Page’s pitch not aiming for a draw like the thrillers of recent years. Stokes’ leadership remains vital as England’s eyes are tested ahead of the Sydney final and youngsters like Bethell are tested against Australia’s dominance. This reshuffle underlines the tough decisions made in a desperate bid to save pride Down Under.

England playing XI for the Boxing Day Test:

Zak Crawley, ⁠Ben Duckett, ⁠Jacob Bethell, ⁠Joe Root, ⁠Harry Brook, ⁠Ben Stokes (c), ⁠Jamie Smith (wk), ⁠Will Jacks, ⁠Gus Atkinson, ⁠Brydon Carse, ⁠Josh Tongue

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