Ayanjit Sen and Rajarshi Gupta of espnstar.com try to reason out who is stronger ahead of the Ashes- England or Australia.

Home advantage
 
Ayanjit Sen: Home advantage is definitely going to help Andrew Strauss's team. The question which will immediately follow - Is that enough to beat Australia? The Strauss-led team is now expected to play a new brand of Test cricket. Wait and see! The most holy of cricketing contests is in all likelihood going to be on bouncy seaming pitches in England. Playing at home is always an advantage in Test cricket. This advantage will give the England team an extra dimension when they begin their quest. And, the summer is going to be yet another absorbing one!

Rajarshi Gupta: Agreed, England will have the luxury of playing at home and the memories of the 2-1 victory in 2005 would still be fresh.

But hang on folks; this is Australia we are talking about. They were stung badly and they hit back with a 5-0 whitewash Down Under two years later. The more the England media keep talking about the “historic” victory, the more brutal would the Aussies be. They don’t like to lose, they don’t know how to. Australia have the pace battery to rattle England. Yes, even without Brett Lee. With the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Stuart Clark around, England have enough reasons to hop and dance.

Captaincy

AS: The captain Andrew Strauss is not a wild card entry after a juggle with Kevin Pieterson. He knows how important this series is for him. An Ashes debacle has often seen change of captaincy in the England team. But this man from Middlesex knows his work well. He has all the qualities that a good captain should possess and among them a few which is required off-the-field too. He has passed the germination stage of his captaincy and is ready to face the Aussies. He has had a healthy batting record during his captaincy and none can point fingers to say that he should be tougher in his approach to the game. After facing some resistance from the West Indies team, the England team is now ready for the final countdown.

RG: Okay, okay Ricky Ponting is not the greatest captain Australia has ever had and he inherited team of perennial greats and he has been struggling since their mass exodus but so what? The man can think and though Jeff Thompson called him crap as captain, there is room for thought.

Every team goes through a period of transition and so did the Aussies. Big deal! They went down to South Africa at home but didn’t they avenge the loss in the Proteas’ backyard? That was a well-plotted demolition and full-marks to the skipper. Andrew Strauss is good but these are early days and we are talking of the Ashes, big pressure and huge expectations. Try and count out Ponting.

Man to Man

AS: England has a good answer to Phil Hughes and Simon Katich. Both left-handers - captain Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook - have already opened in forty Test matches - making themselves the most experienced duo. Statistics speak for itself - a first wicket average of more than 45. From a batting point of view, the names speak for themselves - Kevin Pieterson, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara and they are in  form, ready to rip apart the Aussie bowling attack. And, remember, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is injury-free now - ready to blast off and he can be deadly with both the ball and the bat. Matt Prior is a good keeper but still has scope for improvement and he can be handy with the bat too.  And, the bowling! James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Graham Onions - all masters of the new ball. The spin category is also not overlooked with Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann. This is a team which is ready to put the past aside and bring glory to the team.

RG: Let’s look at the openers. Australia start with Phil Hughes and Simon Katich whereas England have Strauss and Alistair Cook in their ranks. Maybe, yes, the England combine is in better form and Strauss exudes more experience but Hughes, who has been a shade out of form, would look to repeat his feats against the South Africans.

The Aussies are far more balanced in their bowling attack even with Brett Lee missing. However, the only way the scale can tip the Aussie way is if the spinners come into play. Since Shane Warne decided to call it a day, Australia have struggled to find a genuine tweaker.

England with Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann have an edge for sure come to think of it, how much can spinners really get going in England!

James Anderson is a nippy customer and can be a threat in English conditions but he dies have the tendency to stay and if Ponting does hit form somewhere, then he is headed for trouble. While Stuart Broad is talented, the wealth of experience in the Aussie batting ranks might just weigh too heavy on the English bowling attack, which is short of Test match awe.

Brett Lee

AS: The Brett Lee factor in always in news - and that itself points out that he is a danger man. England realise that. Form and Brett Lee are not long-distance cousins. Despite the fact that he had got only 21 wickets in the past eight matches and his not-so exciting figures in previous England tours - he can always make a great comeback. Remember, he has already shown his reverse swing magic in a first-class match in Worcester a few days ago. He is, no doubt, an exciting prospect always!

RG: Maybe, just maybe, England will heave a sigh of relief with Brett Lee out of action for at least the first two Tests. But they will need to get over Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Stuart Clar, Ben Hilfenhaus. Quiet a line-up that.

Anyways, not that Lee was in devastating form and it is likely Ponting will rest easy as that means he does not have to scratch his head between playing an out of form Lee or gambling to rest him. Now that he is injured, Ponting does not need to think of Lee much. He knows what he has at hand now. 

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