Australia vs England – The Ashes LIVE: All the latest updates

You can hear the England fans roar as the skipper makes his choice. It’s his first time skippering the side in Australia, and he confirmed their bowling attack will consist of ‘four seamers plus myself’. Stokes hailed Wood for ‘working incredibly hard’ and is optimistic about his partnership with Archer.

Steve Smith said he would have batted had he won the toss.

A cheer went up when Stokes revealed England would bat first, emphasising the healthy away support in the crowd. It was also something of a surprise given that Stokes has generally favoured bowling first throughout his tenure as captain.

That’s Ricky Ponting’s take, favouring the debutant over the more experienced Scott Boland as he’s ‘more of a new-ball bowler’.

‘I was a little bit surprised, particularly with the team make-up, but I think it’s the right decision,’ Broad said, pointing out that Stokes is historically a bowl-first skipper. He also called it a brave call batting first without a spinner in the Lions XI.

Scott Boland has just presented Brendan Doggett with his baggy green cap on the field in Perth. Today marks the first time the home side has played two Indigenous players – Boland and Doggett – in the XI.

Last year’s Test between Australia and India at Perth Stadium saw 17 wickets fall on day one. Don’t look for a repeat of that today, with commentators comparing the current wicket to the strip on day two of last year’s series-opening contest – still plenty in it for the bowlers, but not as wild as last November, when India made 150 and Australia just 104 in their first innings.

The paceman – who will play his first Test for Australia after the injury to Josh Hazlewood – said he had a good night’s sleep despite having grounds to be up all night with nerves.

‘I woke up, opened the blinds, looked straight at Optus Stadium and I thought, “It’s here.” Quickly followed by my two-year-old asking me to play trucks and trains with him, so I was quickly brought back to life,’ he said.

Ben Stokes appears happy and confident as he leads the team into Perth Stadium…

This is just in from Daily Mail cricket correspondent Lawrence Booth..

Mark Wood will take his place in a five-man fast-bowling attack after England left their selection late for this morning’s first Ashes Test in Perth. Unusually, the management had delayed their decision, in case they felt the pitch would get dryer as the game progressed and the off-breaks of Shoaib Bashir came into contention.

Instead, England will hit Australia with Wood – who will play his first Test since August 2024 – and Jofra Archer, with back-up from Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes.

Marnus Labuschagne has given fans a look at the vista from his balcony at the Crown Towers hotel, just a short walk from Perth Stadium.

The team’s accommodation is among the finest in Australia, with stunning views of the city and surrounds, and suites that can cost as much as around $2000 a night.