Australia the big favourite going into third Ashes in two years

LONDON – One of sport’s great rivalries looks lopsided heading into the third Ashes series in two years.

Even the most optimistic, one-eyed England cricket fan would struggle to pick holes in the Australia squad that arrived in Britain two weeks ago, seeking to retain the urn won back so convincingly in a 5-0 whitewash Down Under 18 months ago.

The Australians have the world’s top-ranked batsman in Steven Smith, a hostile and deep bowling attack led by the menacing – if mercurial – Mitchell Johnson, and a settled side at ease under the easygoing stewardship of coach Darren Lehmann.

Throw in the recent series victory in West Indies that capped a near-perfect run of results since the last Ashes, and everything points to the men in the baggy green keeping hold of the urn for another 2½ years.

Well, almost everything.

Australia hasn’t won a test series in England since 2001 and no member of the current squad is an Ashes winner abroad. English conditions can provide a unique examination in test cricket, and series wins aren’t easy to come by.

So maybe the next seven weeks will be a closer-run thing than anticipated, starting with the first test in Cardiff on Wednesday.

“From where we have been,” England captain Alastair Cook said, “if we did win the Ashes, it would be a remarkable achievement.”

That’s because while the Australians have been virtually at the top of their game ever since losing the 2013 Ashes in England 3-0, it’s been nothing but turbulence for their old foes.

The Ashes whitewash led to the break-up of a successful England test team. Graeme Swann quit cricket, star batsman Kevin Pietersen was dumped and has failed to earn a reprieve despite a relentless PR campaign, and steady No. 3 Jonathan Trott’s comeback from a stress-related condition hasn’t worked out.

English cricket is in a transitional phase, with new players brought in and a new philosophy – adventure instead of conservatism – being implemented.

Adding to the chaos is a series of coaching and administrative changes that has resulted in England going into the Ashes with a new overseeing supremo in former test captain Andrew Strauss and a new coach in Trevor Bayliss – an Australian, no less.

Bayliss knows the Australians better than the England team, many of whom he met for the first time last weekend on a bonding trip to Spain. It’s hardly the ideal preparation for an Ashes series, but Bayliss arrives with a strong reputation from his time with Sri Lanka and in domestic cricket in Australia and India. His style is to create a relaxed environment for players to thrive in, much like Lehmann.

“To be successful against Australia, it’s certainly not going to be by taking a backward step or allowing the Australians just to dictate terms,” England’s first Australian coach said Wednesday.

“You’ve got to get out and fight fire with fire, be positive and aggressive and individuals have to play their own natural game.”

England is also on something of a high after winning a thrilling one-day series against New Zealand. Test cricket, though, is a different animal.

“England have obviously turned things around a bit and we’ve seen the flair they’ve started to play with in one-day cricket,” Australia allrounder Shane Watson said. “It’s good to see that they’ve moved with the times with how cricket is being played these days, and they’re going to have to do the same in test cricket as well.”

There are question marks hanging over England’s lineup. Gary Ballance and Ian Bell are struggling for runs at Nos. 3 and 4, Moeen Ali isn’t convincing as the team’s spinner, and the bowling attack lacks variety without a left-arm seamer to complement Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad.

England also has seven left-handed batsmen in its team, which could play into the hands of offspinner Nathan Lyon.

Johnson, in particular, will relish playing England again after taking 37 wickets in the last Ashes series.

Australia’s team has been labeled “Dad’s Army” by its former bowler Jason Gillespie because of the presence of two 37-year-olds in Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin, two 34-year-olds in Watson and captain Michael Clarke, and 35-year-olds Ryan Harris and Adam Voges.

Clarke has laughed that jibe off, though, and experience can count in these high-profile series in which sledging is sure to be a factor. The recent England vs. New Zealand series was played in a good-natured spirit, but don’t expect that to be the case in the Ashes.

“Do you guys really want the Ashes to be played like that?” combative wicketkeeper Haddin said.

The other tests are at Lord’s, Birmingham’s Edgbaston, Nottingham’s Trent Bridge before returning to London for the fifth match at The Oval. – Nampa-AP

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