Interesting Ashes series on the cards

It will be a prestige battle for the supremacy in the established game when the Ashes series between Australia and England starts later this week. Both teams will make every effort to regain lost glory as the first of the five Ashes Tests starts at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Wednesday (8).

Cricket fans around the globe have always looked forward to the oldest Test series in the world and there is no exception this time around. Although Australia, currently ranked second behind South Africa in the ICC ratings, goes out favourtes, England is capable of springing a surprise with home advantage.

Nevertheless, the Australians are familiar with conditions in England and only thing that could give England a morale boost would be the support of their home crowds. Besides the first Test in Cardiff, the other four Tests will be played in London (Lord's), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Trent Bridge (Nottingham) and Kennington Oval (London) in an extensive series which would go until August 24.

Australian captain Michael Clarke has defended his spinners Nathan Lyon and Faward Ahmed after their unimpressive performance in the lead up to the Ashes series. They were subjected to severe punishment in Australia's first two warm up matches against Essex and Kent.

Fawad was hit to all corners of the ground by Kent batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond in Canterbury while Lyon was mercilessly thrashed by Essex's Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara in the second tour match at Chelmsford which concluded yesterday. Kent and Essex batsmen had a big relief with scoring opportunities from slow bowlers as they faced the threat of Australia's deadly pacemen.

However, the Australian captain was unperturbed by the manner his spin bowlers had been treated. He has cited relatively small county grounds and flat pitches have gone against his spinners, stating that there was always the chance a batsman can succeed when chancing his arm. Clarke has also pointed out that spin wizard Shane Warne had suffered similar hidings in early tour matches during past tours, before thriving in the Tests.

Clarke has said that Lyon was going "really well", adding that the spinner bowled "pretty well" on day two of their second tour match. He predicted that the cricket fans would talk more on Lyon in the matches to come. This is an interesting statement that would give England batsman food for thought.

If Lyon finds his rhythm soon, England batsmen would find it a lot harder to face him in the Ashes. There is no need for Australians to push the panic button at this stage as one has to understand that poor early form is a part and parcel of playing over in England.

Faward too needs time to settle down to English conditions. Clarke says that they are "going to go for more runs" than they do in Australia on bigger grounds and slower outfields. However, he stressed that such circumstances would give more opportunities to take wickets.

England have reposed faith in the squad which the last Test series against New Zealand (one-all) for the first Investec Ashes Test in Cardiff. The only addition to the team would see Adil Rashid and Steven Finn in the 13-man squad. Although Rashid was not part of the group taken to Spain for a training camp with their new coach Trevor Bayliss, he took four wickets in Yorkshire's Championship win over Durham to earn a place in the England squad.

Former Sri Lanka coach, Bayliss plans to include two spinners after assessing the conditions. "There's been a bit of hot weather around so we want that option," he was quoted as saying. Finn returns to the squad ahead of Chris Jordan and Liam Plunkett, who is still recovering from an injury he had sustained during the one-day series against New Zealand.

The exact XI that played in the both Tests against New Zealand could well be called for duty for the first Test in Cardiff. Despite a recent unimpressive run, Gary Ballance has been given another chance. The good news for the home fans would be the fitness of Jos Buttler. He is reported fit to be on duty behind the stumps, having recovered from a hand injury that led to Bairstow deputising in an ODI and T20 with New Zealand.

Australia will have to live without Ryan Harris who has been ruled out of the first Test as he has failed to pass a fitness test. He has been sent for scans to determine the cause of greater knee pain than he has become accustomed to - something that would worry the tourists.

Harris' injury would mean that the Australian bowling attack for the Cardiff Test would revolve around Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to accompany the spin of Nathan Lyon. This was the same strategy they adopted during two Tests in the West Indies that Harris missed due to the birth of his first child.

Since the first two Ashes Tests of the series are being played back-to-back in Cardiff and Lord's, Harris has little or no chance to recover and prove his ability to cope with the stresses of bowling until the tourists play a county fixture in Derby before the third Test in Birmingham.

The prevailing hot summer weather in England too would play a key role. On the hottest July days in England, Australia will not find it easy.

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has given a strong reminder to Aussie selectors with back to back centuries. When he was picked to tour England, he had just two first class hundreds. But he took next to no time to double it with successive centuries in the warm up games. His sparkling century against a formidable Kent attack was something unique which should open eyes of selectors.

Since their inaugural Test way back in 1877, Australia and England have met each other in a record 336 Tests. Australia takes the lead in the Ashes Tests with 138 victories to England's 105. The balance 93 Tests were drawn affairs.

When Australia last toured England for an Ashes Test series in 2013, the visitors suffered a 0-3 defeat and would make every effort to take avenge and reduce their deficit with table leaders South Africa in the ICC world Test rankings. But England has shown good form in Ashes Tests on home soil though Australia has taken an upper hand before their home supporters.

Hence, it all points to an interesting Ashes series with England trying to maintain their impressive home record and Australia making every effort to consolidate their No.2 spot in Test rankings.