Anderson Says Australia Slight Favourites for 2025 Ashes

England’s legendary fast bowler James Anderson has said that Australia will enter next week’s Ashes series as slight favourites. Anderson, who retired recently after a long and record-breaking career, spoke about the upcoming series and shared his honest view. Although he thinks Australia are ahead, he also agrees with Stuart Broad that this is the weakest Australian team England will face since their famous 2010-11 Ashes victory in Australia.

Anderson was a key part of the 2010-11 Ashes win, taking 24 wickets and helping England win a series in Australia for the first time in many years. However, since that series, things have been very different. Anderson has been part of three Ashes tours after 2010-11, and England have failed to win a single one. In those three tours, England lost 13 matches and drew two. Because of this, Anderson said he does not want to imagine a big turnaround too quickly. He believes England must stay realistic and understand how hard it is to win in Australia.

While speaking to TNT Sports, where he will work as a pundit, Anderson said Australia have been very strong for the last 10 years. Their team selection has been consistent, and their best players have remained in form for a long time. But he also said things are different now. According to him, this might be Australia’s weakest squad in the last 15 years. He believes England have a good chance because Australia are not as stable and confident as before. However, he still thinks Australia are just slightly ahead because they are playing at home.

Anderson also explained why he feels Australia look weaker this time. One big issue is that Australia still do not know their exact batting order. There are big doubts about their top three batters, and they may even play a debutant opener, Jake Weatherald, in the first Test. This lack of clarity is unusual for Australia, who normally enter major series with well-settled positions. Another major concern is the absence of their captain and front-line fast bowler, Pat Cummins. He will miss at least the first Test because of injury, which Anderson says is a huge loss.

According to Anderson, the uncertainty in Australia’s team gives England an opportunity. He said there are “cracks” that England can try to expose in the opening match in Perth. However, he also warned that Australia still have many strong players who can change a game quickly. Even without Cummins, Australia have world-class cricketers like Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, and Travis Head. All three are experienced batters who have performed well in past Ashes series. Anderson believes that while Australia may have problems, they still have a strong base.

Anderson also noted that Australia’s bowling attack remains dangerous even without their captain. Bowlers like Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon have played many Ashes Tests and know how to bowl on Australian pitches. Their experience, combined with the home conditions, makes Australia tough to beat. So while England may sense a chance, they will still need to perform at a very high level to win.

With both teams having strengths and weaknesses, Anderson expects a close and exciting contest. England will enter with confidence after improvements under their new leadership, but Australia’s home advantage and strong core players make them hard to defeat. Anderson’s final verdict is simple: Australia are favourites, but only by a small margin, and England have a real chance to fight.