Ashes 2025-26: Will Jacks in England team for second Test

England have included a spin option for the second Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane, with 27-year-old Will Jacks set to play his first Test in three years. The off-spinner replaces injured pace bowler Mark Wood in the team, with Jacks selected ahead of Shoaib Bashir for his batting ability.

Jacks will take the place of injured Wood, who has since developed soreness in the same left knee after the first Test in Perth. England have four options in seam bowling if needed: Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and Stokes.

The inclusion of Jacks is a significant boost for England, with the Surrey man having played only three first-class matches this year, taking five wickets in 74.1 overs. He has primarily focused on white-ball cricket but will now have the opportunity to cement his place in the side.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja has been ruled out of the pink-ball Test at the Gabba after failing to recover from back spasms. The absence clears the way for Travis Head to continue opening the batting, while Josh Inglis or Beau Webster will come into the side.

England are looking to level the series by winning at the Gabba for the first time since 1986. Despite England's struggles in Australia, with their last win coming in 2010-11, captain Ben Stokes is confident that his team can perform well.

"We know they have a good record here but at the same time they certainly haven't been unbeatable here," said Stokes. "We'll use the crowd, we know the pitch conditions and we've played a few pink-ball games, too. It's just trying not to think too much about the history of it in terms of this venue and this ground, and making sure we put our skills forward."

The second Test starts at 04:00 GMT on Thursday, with live text coverage, Test Match Special commentary and in-play highlights on the BBC Sport website.

omg what a game changer for england bringing will jacks into the mix he's got some serious skillz and can give australia a run for their money i'm loving ben stokes' confidence about the team though they need to focus on beating aussie bowlers not just thinking about the history of the venue it's gonna be a close match, but with jacks and england's squad looking strong, i think they've got a good shot at leveling the series

OMG just read that Will Jacks is gonna play his first Test in three years for England!!! I'm low-key excited to see him spin out some Aussie batters . But what's up with the team's seam bowling options? Like, they've got four guys and none of them seem to be getting a guaranteed spot... Jofra Archer is always injured tho . Anyways, can't wait for the second Test at the Gabba - it's gonna be intense! The crowd's gonna go wild, and Ben Stokes is all about trying to break that 1986 drought Bring it on, Ashes fans!!!

I'm thinking England's got a good shot at beating Australia... Ben Stokes seems pretty chill about it too . He's right that they can't let the history of the venue get to them... but what if Will Jacks struggles out there? How will England know if he's good enough? And what about this Aussie team without Usman Khawaja? Are they going to change their strategy or something? I'm kinda excited for the pink-ball Test at the Gabba, love watching the ball swing in weird ways . Can't wait for Thursday's match!

Man, you gotta wonder why Australia's all about protecting their players while England just goes ahead and gives a spot to some young gun from Surrey? I mean, Will Jacks is like the ultimate example of how we need more talented homegrown cricketers! They should be supporting him, not worrying about injury concerns. And what's with Mark Wood getting injured in the first place? Is it because they didn't give him enough opportunities to prove himself?

And have you noticed how Stokes' comments are always so measured and calculated? It's like he's trying to avoid saying anything that might be seen as 'negative' about Australia. We need more openness and honesty, you know? Like, if we're gonna come at them hard, we should be able to admit it without fear of reprisal.

By the way, what's up with the pink-ball Test format? Is this just a fancy way for the Aussies to maintain their grip on home advantage? I mean, isn't that just another form of 'special treatment' for the host team?

omg, i'm so hyped for england vs australia @ the gabba!!! will jacks is gonna bring some serious magic to the pitch, esp with his spin options plus, ben stokes is all about that confidence and let's be real, it's gonna be a close series australia's got a good record there but england's been working hard to change that can't wait for thursday's test!

aww man... I feel like England's got a lot riding on this one! They're gonna need to bring their A-game if they wanna take down Australia at the Gabba. And yay for Will Jacks getting his first Test chance - he sounds like a talented young player! The thought of Stokes being confident about the series is really inspiring... I can feel the energy building up for this match already! ️

England's decision to include Will Jacks in the squad is a bold move . With Wood out, they're essentially handing over the reins to a bowler who's had limited first-class experience. It'll be interesting to see how he performs under pressure . The addition of four other spinners adds to the complexity, but if Jacks can take up the gauntlet and deliver, it could be a game-changer .