The Ashes 2015

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The 2015 Ashes in England was defined by one of the greatest sustained bowling spells in Test history. At Trent Bridge, with Australia leading 1-0 after winning at Cardiff, Stuart Broad took 8 wickets for 15 runs as Australia were bowled out for 60 — their lowest Ashes total since 1936. That spell changed the entire series. England won at Trent Bridge and again at Edgbaston to clinch the Ashes with a game to spare, restoring English pride after the 5-0 humiliation in Australia in 2013-14. England's bowling attack under Alastair Cook's captaincy was balanced and relentless — Broad took 21 wickets across the series, while Jimmy Anderson and Mark Wood contributed with movement and pace respectively. Joe Root was England's batting anchor, contributing 460 runs across the series with three centuries that showed the world he was developing into one of the modern era's greatest batsmen. Australia's batting, without the injured Mitchell Johnson and with Smith unable to replicate his Australian-conditions dominance in English conditions, never reached the heights needed. The series result, combined with Australia's subsequent failure to retain the urn in England in 2019 and 2023, illustrated how differently the two sides performed on each other's home turf.

Key Highlights

• 1England won 3-2 to regain the Ashes they had surrendered in Australia in 2013-14
• 2Stuart Broad took 8/15 at Trent Bridge in one of the greatest Ashes bowling spells — Australia bowled out for 60
• 3England won the series with a match to spare, clinching at Edgbaston
• 4Australia won the first Test at Cardiff to take an early series lead
• 5Joe Root topped England's batting aggregates with 460 runs including three centuries

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