The Ashes summer is very nearly upon us, and with the first ball due in just a few hours, cricket buffs across the country are beginning to hypothesize about how the latest chapter in the game's oldest rivalry may pan out this year.
I've had a dig around and picked out five key things I think you should keep your eye on this summer.
Joe Root
Warmly welcomed into the England setup at the end of last year and already a favourite among the game's critics, Joe Root has fast become England's leading hot prospect.
A batsman with poise and patience well beyond his 22 years, Root exemplifies that which has made England's top order so successful in the inter-Ashes years. His debut knock of 73 from 229 balls no finer example of the composure that could see him quickly fill a Strauss-shaped void for years to come.
It is this composure too, I believe, that has seen him fast-tracked to the top of the pecking order for 10 July. Root has none of the blonde highlights and flashy off drives that made Ian Bell such a prospect in 2005. But I think interestingly it is the Yorkshireman's lack of/or ability to rein in his youthful flamboyance that has gained him favour with both cricket's inner and outer circles, and put him on the brink of an Ashes debut.
Spin
Always a topic of conversation when England meet Australia, the Aussies have arrived with just one reputable spinner in the form of Nathan Lyon and young hopeful, Ashton Agar. Oh, and Steve Smith. Secret weapon Fahwad Ahmed could still play a role too. But whilst his ascent to potential Ashes selection is almost novel-worthy, he has only played 22 professional games and hardly set the world on fire in the process.
England have named Graeme Swann as their only frontline spinner and with the series likely to be decided in swing and seam-friendly conditions it would be hard to argue for the inclusion of another specialist tweaker.
Swann's record with the ball in Ashes cricket is, perhaps surprisingly, rather modest. Three wickets per game at an average of around 40 runs per wicket are not very Swann-like returns, but what Chin crucially offers that the Aussie spinners (I believe) do not, is the ability to hold up an end and to control a match. On more than one occasion he has proven an invaluable foil to England's trio of seamers, bowling marathon spells at economy rates well below the innings average.
In the fifth Test in 2009, after taking four wickets alongside Broad in the first innings, he then bowled 40 overs in the second and took a further four vital wickets at an economy of 2.97 (England's innings average was 3.4 runs per over). Another epic performance followed down under in 2010 when he churned out a 40 over spell in the second innings of the second Test, bagging five wickets in the process at an economy of 2.21, almost a run better than the team average.
The Return of KP
An Ashes hero some eight years ago, but absent last time Australia toured England in 2009, Pietersen will be hungry to rekindle the kind of performance that saw him shoot to stardom in 2005.
His return will also bring some calm to England fans, many of which may have been fearing the potential fragility of England's batting lineup post Trott and pre-Prior, were he not fit.
He is of course an enigma, but he is more than likely to wade in with some important and no doubt entertaining runs at some point during the series. Averaging 52.71 in Ashes cricket, he is also likely to be the most talked about player in the Australian dressing room and could serve as a useful distraction for England's younger batsman as they try to establish themselves early on in the series.
The Captains
Now this is fascinating. Neither Cook nor Clarke have taken charge of an Ashes Test, yet both have excelled under the "burden" of captaincy.
They have both been imperious over the past 12 months. Clarke averaging 84.14 in nine games, scoring four centuries in the process, with Cook averaging 52.10 in 12 games with six three-figure scores to his name. Clarke's stats though are a little skewed as the majority of his runs have come in Australia where he averages well over a hundred. Conversely Cook has scored more runs abroad (New Zealand and India) than he has at home.
In terms of Ashes calibre Clarke averages 45.50 and Cook 50.56. Each have four hundreds as well. Interestingly though, Clarke averages 48.93 against England in England, whereas Cook, who averages 65.12 against the Aussies in their backyard, only averages 24.66 against Australia in England, and has yet to score a century against them on home soil.
As captains they are still both establishing themselves, however they've each proven themselves to be more than useful in charge. In terms of style Clarke is more Warne-esque and quicker to think outside the box. Whereas Cook is very much in the mould of his predecessor and happy to sit back and remain patient.
Both world-class performers, this series and the return leg down under could well make a legedn of one of these men.
Aussie bowling attack
If they steer clear of injury then Australia have a wealth of seam options. On paper all six of their plucky pacemen look to have tremendous potential, but for most that is still potential. Discounting Peter Siddle, the remaining five have just 33 Test caps between them, and James Faulkner has yet to even play a Test match. Add Ryan Harris and his injury woes into the equation and it could be a topsy-turvy series for Clarke's bowling unit.
Conditions will help though, and with England's batsman unlikely to have faced many of these young Aussie quicks, they could well have some success. However, over the course of five Test matches I think youth and inexperience may well begin show.
It will also be interesting to see how Michael Clarke manages his bowlers. In the 2010/11 series down under England made two series-defining changes to their bowling line-up midway through the tour. Tim Bresnan replaced the inconsistent Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett was given the nod as replacement for the injured Stuart Broad. Bresnan and Tremlett went on to take 20 wickets at 23 in England's victories in Melbourne and Sydney, helping England take control of the series. How Clarke manages this inevitable conundrum this summer may well be equally as pivotal.
