Haynes excited for the flagship Ashes defense.

Vice-captain Rachael Haynes is excited for Australia’s Ashes defense on home soil. The multi-format series will start with a one-off Test in Canberra from January 27 to 30, followed by three T20Is and three ODIs. Manuka Oval will host a women’s Test match for the first time.



“From a players’ perspective the Ashes is really a flagship series," said the multiple Ashes winner Haynes.



"Personally, it’s one of the series we look forward to the most given its multi-format, we get to play a Test match and it really is the team who performs the best across all three formats of the game wins the trophy.”



Haynes made her Test debut against England in 2009 in Worcester. She's scored 293 runs in the format, with a best of 98. In the last Test she played in 2019, she was involved in a 162-run partnership in the first innings with Ellyse Perry, who scored 116.



“It’s a huge honour," said Haynes about playing the longest format. "We know the legacy of Test cricket in Australia and certainly, from our perspective, we really enjoy the chance to wear the baggy green. We’d like to do it a little bit more often than we do, but we know that every time the Ashes comes around, whether we’re playing home or away, the Test match forms part of it.”



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The limited overs games between Australia and England will be played at the North Sydney Oval, Adelaide Oval and the Junction Oval. The hosts last played a T20I at the Adelaide Oval in 2017 while they are yet to play an ODI there since 2010.



“We want to, as much as we can, play as many games as possible at some of the more iconic venues across Australia," said Haynes, who was part of Australia's T20 World Cup win last year.



"We’ve shown with the World Cup that we’re capable of getting big crowds to the events. It’s really nice to see Adelaide Oval will form part of our playing schedule this summer and hopefully across the seasons to come we’ll see more and more of that.”



The 2019 series, played in England saw Australia win the ODI leg of the series 3-0 and the T20 leg by the margin of 2-1. The sole Test played in Taunton was a drawn affair.