BRISBANE, Australia: New-look Australia will bank on their pace attack terrifying England once again when two unfamiliar line-ups open hostilities for the Ashes, the oldest prize in Test cricket, in Brisbane on Thursday. Australia’s surprise selections raised plenty of eyebrows but they will hope their pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins can replicate Mitchell Johnson’s devastating bowling at the Gabba ground in 2013. England also have an untested batting line-up and their campaign to retain the Ashes urn was dealt a major blow when star all-rounder Ben Stokes was suspended pending investigations into a brawl outside a nightclub. The build-up to the biennial series, which dates back to the 19th century, has been traditionally feisty, with opener David Warner saying he regarded facing England as “war” and several Australian players reminding the tourists of their treatment by Johnson four years ago. The firebrand left-armer set the tone for the 2013-2014 Ashes with his ferocious fast bowling to take nine wickets at the Gabba as the Australians inflicted a crushing 381-run defeat, triggering a 5-0 series rout. The Starc-led pace trio have never bowled together in a Test but they stack up favourably with Australia’s greatest pace combinations, with their combined career strike rates better than their gloried predecessors. Australia have a formidable record at Brisbane’s intimidating ‘Gabbatoir’ where they have not lost a Test match since 1988, and where England are winless in 31 years. Starc appears key to Australia’s series hopes and he has targeted England’s big two batsmen, captain Joe Root and former skipper Alastair Cook, in the five-Test series. “Cook and Root are the two main ones at the top who have played a heck of a lot of cricket and done really well at home and away,” Starc said. “Both of them are guys we have to focus heavily on in hopefully getting them out cheaply and getting stuck into that inexperienced batting order.” Starc said watching footage of Johnson’s fireworks at the Gabba four years ago had inspired him to replicate his match-winning performance.“We all still are (inspired). Whenever you see highlights from that series it was unbelievable,” he said. “How well he bowled and just the aggression and the fear in some of the English eyes, it was always great to watch as a bowler and see batsmen struggle, especially the Poms.” The Australians have done their homework and have crafted their plans based on a file on the England batsmen, compiled by bowling coach and former England mentor David Saker. “It’s great to have Sakesy (Saker) here. Obviously being part of the English squad for a while, it’ll be great for us to pick his brain,” Starc said.
