Australia's star pacer Mitchell Starc has cast doubt on England's ability to sustain its aggressive posture in the face of adversity and said that the Three Lions' attacking play makes the Ashes series fascinating.
England have had a turnaround in their fortunes since Brendon McCullum became the head coach and Ben Stokes took over the leadership. They have played an aggressive brand of cricket termed as 'BazBall'. During their 3-0 win in Pakistan last year, Ben Stokes and company shattered a slew of records.
The five Tests between Australia and England will be played between June 16 to July 31. Regardless of what England throws at them, the Australians are ready to play their own game. (James Anderson Fires Warning Shot Says, 'Australia Won't Stand Chance Against England's Best In Ashes Series')
"If they are 5-50, are they still coming out and swinging? Dunno," Sydney Morning Herald quoted Starc as saying.
"They've been able to maintain it for some time. Fair credit to them, it's not just a one-off. It makes for an exciting Ashes contest. We'll see if that's the way they're going to play, how it goes. From the guys I've spoken to this week, we're not really buying too much into it," the left-arm paceman added.
Starc also admitted that regardless of the pitch, both teams must take 20 wickets to win Tests. As a result, he anticipates a riveting struggle on all fronts.
Mitchell Starc breaks the 52-run sixth-wicket stand
Jos Buttler departs for 39!
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"Have you ever seen a fast wicket in England? I don't know if they can make them fast. They can certainly make them flat. I think it's a bit of a smokescreen. There's always a bit of chat around the Ashes. It's still cricket and there are three stumps at either end. You still need to take 20 wickets to win a Test. They might score a bit quicker than we do, but there's no reason our batting line-up can't score the amount of runs they do. It's going to be fascinating to be a part of. I think there's a lot of people interested to see how it pans out," Starc said.
