The Ultimate Ashes Preview

Throw the trophies and accolades to the side - simply playing for pride can often be sport’s most powerful motivator. 

And Australia has bucketloads to regain.

Stripped of its World Cup title by its oldest enemy, and having not won a Test series in England since 2001, Australia has multiple scores to settle at this year’s Ashes, which starts Thursday.

What heartache burns strongest matters little - both have fuelled the fire in the Australians’ bellies.

Starting with a landmark 2-1 series win in that Ashes series in 2005, England has claimed four-consecutive home wins against Australia, and one away in 2010-11.

More recently, England won the World Cup for the first time, ending a 44-year wait to lift cricket’s greatest prize.

Droughts are made to be broken. England should know that better than anyone.

That’s why it should be wary of an Australian outfit that’s had its fair share of pain in England, and has every right to fancy its chances this time around.

England’s top order in Test cricket has been of great concern for the hosts in recent years and Australia brings into the series a squad bulging at the seams with quality quicks.

There is the matter of its own unstable batting line-up, but the returns of David Warner and Steve Smith to the Test arena will restore some confidence.

And if pride or the Ashes aren’t enough to play for, then throw in the first points of the newly launched World Test Championship as well.

The first Test at Edgbaston on August 1 will mark the start of the competition which will see the world’s top nine teams contest 71 matches across 27 series during the next two years.

The two teams with the most points, which are accrued from every single game, will then square off in a 2021 final that is expected to be held at Lord’s in June.

FIXTURES

First Test at Edgbaston, August 1 to August 5 from 8pm AEST

Second Test at Lord’s, August 14 to August 18 from 8pm AEST

Third Test at Headingley, August 22 to August 26 from 8pm AEST

Fourth Test at Old Trafford, September 4 to September 8 from 8pm AEST

Fifth Test at The Oval, September 12 to September 16 from 8pm AEST

ODDS  

England: $1.90

Australia: $2.50

Draw: $7.00

SQUADS 

England: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

Australia: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Patrick Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner

LIKELY STARTING XI'S England:  Jason Roy, Rory Burns, Joe Root (c), Joe Denly, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (WK), Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Australia: David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matt Wade, Tim Paine (c & wk), James Pattinson, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

STAR PLAYERS 

James Anderson: With the Duke’s ball in hand and in English conditions, there is arguably no one better. Glenn McGrath said so himself in the build up to the first Test, adding that Anderson holds the key to the series. Anderson may have turned 37 on Tuesday, but the veteran remains on top of his game. No one has taken more Test wickets in England in the past 12 months, with the seamer snaring 24 at 18.12.

Steve Smith: All eyes will be on the gun batsman who’s making his Test return after the Cape Town ball-tampering saga. Smith comes back to the Test arena with 6,199 runs at 61.37 and 23 centuries; a stellar record few would bet against him continuing based on recent signs. Smith appears to have lost very little of his touch and will be looking to make up for lost time in England, where he has 953 runs at 43.31 at Test level.

FORM (most recent first)

England:

won v Ireland at Lord’s by 143 runs

won v West Indies at Gros Islet by 232 runs

lost v West Indies at North Sound by 10 wickets

lost v West Indies at Bridgetown by 381 runs

won v Sri Lanka at Colombo by 42 runs

Australia:

won v Sri Lanka at Canberra by 366 runs

won v Sri Lanka at Brisbane by an innings and 40 runs

drew v India at Sydney

lost v India at Melbourne by 137 runs

won v India at Perth by 146 runs

HEAD-TO-HEAD 346 MATCHES

England: 108

Australia: 144

Draw: 94

IN ENGLAND - 166 MATCHES England: 51

Australia: 49

Draw: 66