Ashes 2025-26 – CA plans Brisbane night test after Perth opener

Cricket Australia has announced the dates for the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia where the Gabba will host the second day-night Test and Adelaide will host the third Test as a day match under a new pre-Christmas Test deal the next seven years.

CA has confirmed that Perth will host the first Ashes Test next summer from November 21-25 before the second Test is played with a pink ball under lights in Brisbane from December 4-8. The third Test will be a one-day match in Adelaide from December 17-21 before the Boxing Day Test begins on December 26 at the MCG. Sydney will host the fifth Test from January 4-8.

Adelaide has been the main home of the night Test since the first in 2015 and has hosted the previous two Ashes day-night Tests in 2017–18 and 2021–22 as the second Test in that Ashes series rotation following the traditional Gabba opener.

But the South Australian government, along with CA, were willing to give Adelaide a marquee holiday spot given the popularity of the test from a tourism perspective and it is now third in the rotation.

There may be little enthusiasm for using the pink ball at the Gabba as Australian bowlers have previously spoken of the pink ball being better suited to the Adelaide Oval pitch than the Gabba. There have been times in the Gabba pink-ball Tests when the ball has become too soft and play has stopped as a result.