- The Ashes series between Australia and England starts tonight at the Gabba
- Joe Root’s England are defending the urn they won two years ago on home soil
- Steve Smith’s side are trying to replicate the 5-0 whitewash of four years ago
- The first ball will be bowled at midnight UK time, with the toss at 11.30pm
The wait is over. The Ashes are here.
Over the next two months, England will defend the urn they won from their oldest and fiercest rivals on home soil in 2015, starting in the first Test at the Gabba.
Australia are desperate for revenge and will be hoping for a repeat of the 5-0 whitewash the last time the two sides did battle Down Under four years ago. And there is no more feared ground for away teams than the infamous ‘Gabbatoir’ where the men in Baggy Green routinely slaughter their opponents.
England have not won here since 1986 – and no team has since 1988 – but Joe Root leads his side into action in the knowledge that they have won four of the last five Ashes series.
Root has called upon Jake Ball to fill the huge void left by the absence of Ben Stokes, while James Vince returns to the batting line-up at No 3.
Australia captain Steve Smith has concerns over opening batsman David Warner, who hurt his neck in training this week, but his hopes will rest mainly on the fearsome pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
Join GLEN WILLIAMS for live coverage of the first day from Brisbane with updates from PAUL NEWMAN, MARTIN SAMUEL and OLIVER HOLT, and session reports from LAWRENCE BOOTH.
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