Five questions England must answer ahead of Ashes in Australia

If England harbour aspirations on reaching the ICC World Test Championship Final for the first time then a positive result during the five-match Ashes series against Australia that commences in November is crucial.

England showed plenty of good signs during their recent series with India, but still have some unanswered questions hovering over them as they attempt to win back the Ashes from Australia for the first time since the start of 2018.

1. How many quicks make the touring party?

England tried as many as six different fast bowlers across the five-match series against India, but aren't really all that much clearer about what their best pace line-up looks like.

Whether Chris Woakes recovers from his shoulder ailment in time for the Ashes remains to be seen, while the ongoing fitness concerns for pace spearhead Jofra Archer is also sure to be monitored before the trip Down Under.

England will also be hoping that Mark Wood will be fit to make the trip to Australia as his pace will surely be an asset, with the likes of Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson all in consideration for selection too.

2. Can Joe Root do what he has never done before?

While there is no doubting the class of Joe Root, the England veteran is still yet to register a Test century on Australian shores and this is probably the only thing missing from his bulky resume as he tries to hunt down Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most hundreds in Test cricket.

If Root can break his century duck this time in Australia and lead England to an Ashes victory then it will surely go down as one of the right-hander's biggest achievements during his illustrious international career.

3. What spin option will England go with?

Youngster Shoaib Bashir appears to be the front runner to be England's first-choice spin option during the Ashes providing he recovers from his finger injury, but the 20-year-old is yet to really set the world on fire and may be targeted by Australia's batting group.

Could England turn to the experience of Jack Leach or provide Liam Dawson another opportunity after he got a taste of it against India, or will Rehan Ahmed make a surprise return and be included in the touring party?

4. Can Zak Crawley excel in his second trip Down Under?

Crawley was England's leading run-scorer during the most recent Ashes series in 2023, but the tall opener was somewhat disappointing on his inaugural visit to Australia when he managed just 166 runs from three Tests across the 2021/2022 series.

Australia's experienced pace attack will fancy their chances against Crawley and the right-hander will be under pressure to perform well and get the side off to a good start alongside fellow opener Ben Duckett.

5. How will Jamie Smith cope to the pressure of a first Ashes series?

Smith has made a superb start to his fledging international Test career and the comparisons with Australian great Adam Gilchrist seem somewhat justified given his Test batting average currently sits close to 50.

It will be a step up in class for Smith taking on Australia away from home and the Aussies are sure to try and intimidate the talented 25-year-old in his first tour Down Under.