The Ashes: Early burning questions as Australia, England prepare for hostilities

With a blockbuster Ashes series less than a month away, we look at the early burning questions that could define this summer’s mouthwatering Ashes series.

Who opens for Australia?

Feeling a touch of deja vu? That’s fine, because we were asking this same question 12 months ago. But this summer, the opening conundrum could ultimately decide Australia’s Ashes fate.

Since the start of last year, Usman Khawaja has had six different opening partners and there’s a chance that becomes seven come the Perth Test on November 21.

Right now, the only certainty to return to the line-up is Marnus Labuschagne, with the Queenslander the leading Sheffield Shield run-scorer with 337 at 112.33 before the latest round of matches.

But he is best at three and struggled when given opening duties in Australia’s failed World Test Championship final against South Africa. Australian cricket champion Greg Chappell suggested opening with Labuschagne is too big an experiment for such a monumental Ashes series.

“It still would feel like an experiment to me if you sent Marnus out to open the batting. I don’t think it’s time for experimenting,” Chappell said.

Tasmania’s Jake Weatherald is the leader for out-and-out openers with 248 shield runs but has no international experience and struggled against Victoria while incumbent young gun Sam Konstas needed huge runs against Queensland to be a chance.

Matt Renshaw is also a chance at claiming a red-ball recall after earning an ODI debut against India, while Nathan McSweeney who was also dropped last summer after opening in the first three Tests, made a Sheffield Shield century on Thursday for South Australia.

And last night it was reported Mitchell Marsh could be a dark horse to open after being dropped as an all-rounder last summer.

Will Cam Green bowl?

“I’m not completely convinced that he (Green) can offer his absolute best, for the complete package he is, to the Australian team by batting at three,” Gilchrist said.

“If he’s got overs to bowl, that may complicate his position at three. When fully fit and trying to offer your best package, it would be challenging for a batting all-rounder to be at three.”

When will Pat Cummins be fit?

“I found one thing playing with Pat and being close with Pat, he doesn’t need much,” Starc said.

“Whether it’s he bowls three warm-up balls and first over of the game, he’s on the money.”

What is Bazball?

Bazball is less a strategy than it is a spirit. The idea is named after coach Brendan McCullum, who was known for his destructive batting during an illustrious career for New Zealand.

It gives the English batters the license to be flamboyant and aggressive, boosting their confidence and producing eye-catching Test cricket. The idea worked perfectly in Pakistan on flat decks where England racked up scores of 600 and 800 in rapid time.

However, in the most recent Ashes series played in the UK, they took it too far, helping the Aussies win the first two Tests by throwing wickets away through hubris.

And, it required the pitches to be flat. This is the first time Bazball comes Down Under and the English can expect anything but flat pitches.

The move has also seen the rise of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook as red-ball forces, with the latter averaging 57.55 from 30 Tests with 10 tons. On the other end of the scale, it’s an excuse for mediocrity from opener Zak Crawley, who averages 31.55 from 59 matches.

Former Test batter and coach Darren Lehmann believes Bazball will struggle to impact in Australia.

“Bazball has been excellent and works on flat wickets but as soon as the wicket does anything it doesn’t really work,” Lehmann told Sky Sports News.

“I haven’t seen it work on a wicket that does something and in Australia the wickets will do a bit. I can’t see it performing under that sort of pressure in the Ashes.”

Are the English a real threat?

There are four stars the Australians need to have plans for in this Ashes series. Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.

Root has never scored a Test ton in Australia, but needs one to seal his legacy as one of the all-time greats. If he can’t get one, England will lose the series, but if he hits his straps, it’s game on.

Stokes is a proven Ashes performer but it’s his fitness that is concerning. He is as vital with the ball as he is with the bat, but a series of soft tissue injuries have plagued Stokes for the last four years. England need their skipper bowling.

Archer and Wood are scary when up and running. They bowl real heat, both capable of hitting speeds of 150kmh. However, they both breakdown frequently and neither will be able to play all five Tests.

Wood proved in England his speed unsettles the Australians. He was the driving force behind their wins to level the series. But he and Archer, who has managed 15 Tests in six years, will need to rotate and if one goes down, it increases the workload and thus the chances the other goes down.