The 2025/26 Ashes Down Under is shaping up to be a cracker, but there’s a bittersweet twist: for some of the stalwarts, this might just be their last Ashes series.
Steve Smith
If cricket had a living work of art, it would probably be Steve Smith. At 36, the Aussie maestro still sculpts innings like few others. Over 9,500 Test runs, an Ashes average over 60, and unforgettable demolitions of England make him an icon.
Smith has hung up his ODI boots, focusing entirely on what could be his penultimate battle in the Ashes arena. There’s a faint sense that Father Time is whispering, but this series could be his crowning jewel, or the start of a poignant farewell. With Australia leaning on him heavily, the last Ashes series might just define the legacy of a man who has made scoring look so absurdly effortless.
Usman Khawaja
Talk about a late bloomer: Usman Khawaja has gone from inconsistent opener to Aussie mainstay, and he’s openly admitted that this could be his last Ashes series. At 38, the first-ever Muslim to wear the Baggy Green has matured into a reliable top-order anchor, averaging over 50 since his recall in 2022.
Usman Khawaja walks out to bat in his final Test match for Australia 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/KnbIN3yeWW
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 6, 2026
For fans, it’s a bittersweet moment. The man who rebuilt his career and dominated the previous Ashes Down Under now finds his last Ashes series drifting into uncertainty. Whether he returns later in the tour or this injury marks the beginning of his curtain call, supporters will be watching closely. If this really is his last Ashes series, it’s hardly the script he, or anyone, would have chosen.
Joe Root
England’s linchpin, Joe Root, has been carrying the weight of expectation for over a decade. The record books love him, over 12,000 Test runs, but the Aussie pitches tell a different story. In Australia, Root spent years battling more ghosts than centuries — until now. With his long-awaited breakthrough in Brisbane, he finally turned all those near-misses into the hundred he’d been chasing for over twelve years.
Related Article：From Drought To Glory：Joe Root’s Test Centuries In Australia
Most runs in Test cricket 🔥
15921 – Sachin Tendulkar (329 innings)
𝟏𝟑𝟗𝟐𝟏* – 𝐉𝐨𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭 (𝟐𝟗𝟕 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬)Joe Root is now within touching distance — just under 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ runs away from rewriting history and setting an all-time Test record. 🤍👀#AUSvENG #JoeRoot… pic.twitter.com/MLooT0ta6m
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) January 5, 2026
Yet, there’s a freedom this tour: without the captaincy yoke, Root can just swing and chase form. If he gets going, he could turn this last Ashes series into a personal statement, a monument to all those years of toil. But let’s be honest, there’s always that question lurking in the back of every English fan’s mind: will the urn slip through his fingers once more?
Nathan Lyon
For spinners in Australia, life is often about survival, and Nathan Lyon has thrived like few others. At 38, Lyon has 562 Test wickets, quietly writing one of the most remarkable off-spin careers in history. He’s never been one to bow out gracefully; even when hobbling through injury, he keeps taking wickets and putting pressure on batsmen.
You’ve got to feel for Nathan Lyon. 🙌🏼
On crutches, yet he made sure he was there to witness the moment Australia retain the Ashes. 🤍🇦🇺#AUSvENG #Ashes #Sportskeeda pic.twitter.com/Awc9BRgjvT
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) December 21, 2025
Lyon hasn’t ruled out playing the 2027 Ashes in England, but you can bet that each ball he bowls this series will be fought with the intensity of a cricketer determined to leave nothing behind. In many ways, this last Ashes series feels like a tribute to his unwavering dedication.
Closing Thoughts
There’s something poetic about this series. Amid the bouncers, hundreds, and last-minute run-outs, there’s a whisper of endings. The last Ashes series is a chance to celebrate not just the urn, but the careers of men who’ve carried it through decades of toil and triumph. Root, Smith, Khawaja, and Lyon, whether they leave as champions or warriors, their stories will echo long after the pink ball is packed away.
