One of the biggest events in test cricket has come around once again.
For England and Australia, it simply doesn't come bigger than the Ashes series.
The tournament is about more than a tiny urn — the cricketing event is about pride and is fiercely contested every two years.
Each series brings remarkable moments of tension, like Ben Stokes' heroics at Headingley, or sometimes brutality, like a thunderbolt of a ball hitting Steve Smith in the neck at Lord's.
Individual battles on the field will also play out as the two sides go head-to-head.
Will we see a repeat of Stuart Broad vs David Warner?
We could be set for an exciting series, but when does the Ashes start and how can you watch it?
When are The Ashes 2021/2022 starting?
The first test of this year's edition of the iconic series takes place in Brisbane at the famous old ground of The Gabba.
The first ball will be bowled at 12am GMT on December 8 and England will be hoping for a more positive start than the one they gained when on tour in the 2017-2018 series, which they lost 4-0.
England have only won once as the visitors since 1987, a 3-1 victory in 2011 led by then captain Andrew Strauss.
A reversal of fortunes is currently billed as unlikely and the bookies have England at 9/2 to win the series, compared to Australia at 11/12.
How to watch The Ashes (channel and times of matches)
BT Sport 1 has TV coverage in the UK and a monthly pass will set you back £25, if you don't have a subscription already.
The traditional radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live will also be back with Test Match Special and the likes of Jonathan Agnew and Phil Tufnell entertaining listeners.
- First Test: Brisbane - December 8-12 from 12am GMT
- Second Test: Adelaide - December 16-20 from 4am GMT
- Third Test: Melbourne - December 26-30 from 11:30pm GMT
- Fourth Test: Sydney - January 5-9 from 11.30pm GMT
The venue for the fifth test has yet to be decided, with Perth losing its right to host due to coronavirus restrictions. It will be held from January 14-18, 2022.
Who has Joe Root picked for the first test?
Joe Root has not yet named his team for the first test, contrasting the style of Australia, who have confidently stated theirs ahead of day one.
Australia team for first Test: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
The squads for the Ashes 2021/2022
England squad: Joe Root (c), Jos Buttler (vc, wk), Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
