Mitchell Marsh terms India series as perfect Ashes tune-up for Australia

Australia’s stand-in ODI captain and T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh believes the upcoming white-ball tour of India is the ideal springboard for the 2025–26 Ashes. The series, featuring three ODIs and five T20Is from October 19 to November 8, wraps up just 12 days before the first Ashes Test in Perth, offering Australia valuable competitive preparation.

With Pat Cummins sidelined through injury, Marsh will lead the ODI squad and sees the challenge of facing world No. 1 India as the perfect test before taking on England. He emphasised both the fierce rivalry and mutual respect between the two cricketing powerhouses.

“We’ll have all the guys building towards the Ashes, but everyone loves playing against India. It’s literally perfect timing — taking on India before the Ashes. The rivalry is huge, the standard is elite, and it’s going to be massive," said Marsh during a recent interaction.

Also Read: Kohli and Rohit’s ODI future hinges on Australia series ahead of 2027 World Cup

The series also marks the return of Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who will rejoin international cricket after a lengthy break. Australia will host the ODIs in Melbourne (Oct 19), Adelaide (Oct 23), and Sydney (Oct 25), followed by the five-match T20I leg.

For Australia, the contest serves a dual purpose — testing their depth against top opposition while fine-tuning combinations and building momentum ahead of one of cricket’s greatest rivalries, the Ashes.

News