Just 48 hours remaining.
The English side's first Test in Australia gets under way on Friday morning.
With the help of cricket statistics experts, we look at where the highly awaited Ashes series in years could be won and lost.
It's tough to score runs, isn't it?
Batters on both teams of the Ashes divide might be questioning why they are even planning to show up.
Much of the build-up has focused on the perceived challenge of batting successfully, particularly for the first Test on a Perth pitch described as a "lush, challenging surface".
When it comes to playing in Australian conditions, especially against fast bowling, no nation has been more difficult in which to accumulate runs over the last five years.
There are two reasons for this: wickets and cricket balls.
Overall, the surfaces prepared in Australia have recently proved to be the quickest, most bouncy and among the most inconsistent in the world.
Pace and inconsistent bounce are the perfect recipe for difficult batting conditions.
A common belief from England's cricketing circles describes the Kookaburra cricket ball used in this country as a useless tool for a pace bowler.
An updated model of the Kookaburra was rolled out six years ago, resulting in more seam movement.
Seam bowling is a much bigger weapon than swing bowling in Australian conditions.
After the new ball's introduction, pace bowlers are averaging 25 runs per wicket in Australia.
Test match cricket is about problem solving.
When bowlers dominate, batsmen's contributions can be the difference, and the reverse is true.
Should this series be bowler-dominated, a batter could have the chance to be the difference between the two teams.
What's going on with the Australia seamers?
On this occasion, England have arrived in Australia with their fast-bowling unit mostly fit, while the hosts are the ones affected by fitness issues.
Captain Pat Cummins will be absent for the opening match with a back issue, and Josh Hazlewood is on the sidelines for an unknown period because of a hamstring problem.
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were first paired as a three-pronged attack for the 2017-18 Ashes.
From that point, they have taken together 81% of the wickets taken by Australian fast bowlers in matches in Australia.
The Australian team have rarely had to look elsewhere because of the effectiveness and durability of the 'leading trio'.
When Australia have required support, Scott Boland has been outstanding, taking 62 wickets in 14 Tests at an average below 17.
Aside from Boland, other members of Australia's supporting cast have performed well.
Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson and Pattinson all average under 30 in home Tests.
The last time Australia entered a home Test without Cummins and Hazlewood, and were defeated, was in the year 2012.
The past two times they have played at home without the duo, they have won by a combined 694 runs, featuring a win against England in the Adelaide Test previously.
In infrequent cases Australia have had to go past their star fast bowlers, results have remained strong – The tourists should pay attention.
Challenging Openings
Recall the time England struggled to identify an opening batsman to go alongside Alastair Cook?
Cook changed partners more quickly than Watford go through managers.
Not anymore.
Ever since Duckett and Crawley were united at the top of the England order at the end of 2022, no batting partnership in the world has produced more runs together.
The pair's effectiveness as a partnership has been a reason in Zak Crawley being supported through some inconsistent times.
The Kent man, who memorably hit the initial delivery of the previous Ashes for four, has also been identified as having the game for Australia.
His batting average rises when the pace increases.
In comparison, the Australian opening lineup is in a constant state of flux, yet to fill the David Warner-shaped hole.
After Warner's retirement at the start of 2024, Khawaja has batted with five various openers in 15 Tests.
Yet to debut Weatherald appears likely to become the sixth opener in 16 on Friday, giving Australia an left-handed opening pair.
It's not only the openers that has caused problems for Australia.
Labuschagne, Australia's regular number three, was shifted to open for the World Test Championship final, then left out completely.
Home performances has brought him back, probably returning to number three.
Across seven matches in 2025, the Australian top order average a collective of 25.37.
Only the top threes of Zimbabwe and West Indies have done worse.
Battle of Spin
For two so evenly-matched teams, there is one area where Australia are unquestionably superior – spin bowling.
Nathan Lyon of Australia, with 562 Test wickets of him, is one of the finest finger-spinners to ever play.
Shoaib Bashir of England is a moderately successful gamble, looking short of form after a broken finger, while Jacks is mainly a batsman.
It makes sense for the hosts to want Nathan Lyon at the forefront, but spin bowling has been incredibly hard work in Australia for the last decade.
During that period, spinners have averaged nearly 44 in Australia, albeit Lyon's record holds up well compared to the difficulties of overseas spinners.
Another challenge for Lyon is actually bowling enough overs.
Recall the potency of pace bowling?
It is reducing Lyon's time with ball in hand.
In the 2017-18 Ashes here, Nathan Lyon was averaging 50 overs per Test.
In the previous year, in five matches against the Indian team, it was half that number.
Tests in Australia are 25% shorter since the new Kookaburra was introduced, meaning the spinner has less space to influence the game.
Favorable Conditions?
England have a unfortunate tendency of being beaten in an away Ashes before Father Christmas has loaded his sleigh.
The series traditionally started in Brisbane, where they have failed to win since the year 1986.
Recently, that has been followed with a floodlit Test in Adelaide Oval.
The visitors have one win in seven pink-ball Tests worldwide, while Australia have won 13 out of 14.
Then on to Perth, a venue England have played at on 14 occasions since 1970 and won only one time, against a weakened Australia in 1978.
On this tour, the initial three venues on the itinerary are the same, only in a rearranged order and under altered conditions.
Perth hosts an series opener for the first occasion, not at the fabled Waca – site of past English struggles – but the shiny new Perth Stadium.
It is still a difficult task, though one the visitors tackle with no past burdens.
Brisbane is the venue for the second match, the day-nighter.
The last time Australia competed in a day-night Test at the Gabba, they were stunned by the West Indies.
Similarly, the Aussies are now not used to playing daytime Tests at the typical floodlit ground Adelaide Oval.
Across two traditional Tests played in the City of Churches since 2014, Australia were defeated once, to the Indian team, in 2018.
The re-jigged schedule gives England a new opportunity at beginning an overseas series positively, though with risks.
Australia have won four of the five Tests played at the new Perth ground, though the one defeat came in the most recent match – against India last year.
Each match at the new ground has been won by the team batting first.
England often complicate day-night matches, when statistics indicate the pink cricket ball does not perform much differently from its red counterpart.
The challenge in {day-night matches|
