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Australia vs England: The Ashes highlights, live scores, blog - 1st Test, Day 1

23rd November, 2017
First ball: 11am (AEDT) - 10am (local)
Venue: Gabba, Brisbane, Queensland
TV: Live, Nine Network
Online: Live, Cricket Australia Live Pass
Betting: Australia $1.72, England $3.75, Draw $4.65
Overall record: Played 341, Australia 140, England 108, drawn 93
Record in Australia: Played 162, Australia 82, England 56, drawn 24
Record at the Gabba: Played 20, Australia 11, England 4, drawn 5
Umpires: Aleem Dar and Marais Erasmus

Australia
1. David Warner
2. Cameron Bancroft
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Steve Smith (c)
5. Peter Handscomb
6. Shaun Marsh
7. Tim Paine
8. Mitchell Starc
9. Pat Cummins
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Josh Hazlewood

England
1. Alastair Cook
2. Mark Stoneman
3. James Vince
4. Joe Root (c)
5. Dawid Malan
6. Moeen Ali
7. Jonny Bairstow (wk)
8. Chris Woakes
9. Stuart Broad
10. James Anderson
11. Jake Ball
Pat Cummins (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Expert
23rd November, 2017
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18114 Reads

The Ashes are finally here. Australia go in as heavy favourites, but England will be no pushover in the biggest cricket series on the calendar. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of Day 1 at the Gabba from 11am (AEDT).

» Australia vs England: Ashes Day 2 live scores, blog

The time for talk about selections, form and Sheffield Shield cricket is over. It’s now time to stand up or fall down, with the first Test crucial in the series, especially with the unpredictable day-night Test to follow in Adelaide.

Australia go in at the Gabba as heavy favourites, and it’s not hard to see why. They haven’t lost any of their last 28 Tests at the venue and have only been beaten by England four times out of 20 attempts.

It’s an amazing record, yet Australia’s selections and form aren’t confidence-inspiring. While Usman Khawaja has reeled off some strong Shield performances, David Warner has struggled and is now hampered by a neck injury, Cameron Bancroft is on debut and Steve Smith has been scratchy at best for New South Wales.

Peter Handscomb’s poor start to the summer has been swept under the carpet, and then there’s the selections of Shaun Marsh and Tim Paine, neither of which make a great deal of sense.

Australia’s bowling attack is their strength, with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ready to strike fear into the English batsmen in much the same way Mitchell Johnson did during the last home Ashes series. But no fifth bowling option to complement the spin of Nathan Lyon only asks more questions of the selectors.

England aren’t without their own problems, though. They have been poor in their tour games, struggling to get on top of a Cricket Australia XI side in Townsville.

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It’s little surprise. Running down their batting order, the only players which will fill you with confidence are Alastair Cook and Joe Root, with youngsters filling the rest of their order.

Jonny Bairstow will be under pressure behind the sticks, as will first choice spinner Moeen Ali, who is widely tipped to struggle in Australian conditions.

New ball bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson will be the key to their Ashes charge. If they can strike early and expose Australia’s vulnerable middle order, then England will be on top early in the match.

Prediction
Australia should win this first Test. In fact, at their fortress, they should win convincingly. It’s hard to see England putting up much of a fight, but there is a real element of the unknown. A good start from Anderson and Broad might put the Aussies under pressure.

Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Day 1 of the 2017-18 Ashes series from 10:30am (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.

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