The start of the 2021-22 Ashes has been pushed back slightly to accommodate quarantine measures after the T20 World Cup for incoming England players. Australia, meanwhile, will host Afghanistan for the first time in a Test at Hobart days before their Ashes defence begins.

The Gabba, where Australia hadn’t lost a Test match since 1988 until their recent loss to India, will host the first Test of the Ashes, with Melbourne and Sydney hosting the Boxing Day and New Year Test respectively. However, unlike before, Sydney won’t host the final match of the series. That will be played from January 14-18 at the new Optus Stadium in Perth.

The only day-night Test of the series will be played at the Adelaide Oval from December 16 to 20. The first two fixtures make England’s aim to reclaim the Ashes most daunting. Australia, who haven’t lost more than once at the Gabba in the last 33 years, have won all eight day-night Tests they have played so far.

In the 2017/18 Ashes in Australia, the hosts won the series 4-0. In 2019, they retained the Ashes with a 2-2 draw.

It remains unclear if fans will be allowed into the stadium for the Ashes. Nick Hockley, the interim CEO of Cricket Australia, said that international travel and other details around it would depend on the Australian government.

Australia’s T20 World Cup bound players will have the Afghanistan Test as the only practice game before the Ashes. England’s Test specialists will fly down to Australia early, but the World Cup players will only be able to join the team after a 14-day quarantine. England’s warm-up schedule hasn’t been announced yet.

Men’s Ashes 2021 Schedule

1st Test: 8-12 December – Gabba, Brisbane

2nd Test: 16-20 December – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (Day/night)

3rd Test: 26-30 December – MCG, Melbourne

4th Test: 5-9 January – SCG, Sydney

5th Test: 14-18 January – Optus Stadium, Perth