Cricket: Fearless England ready to shake off weight of Ashes failure

• England have not won an Ashes test in Australia since 2011
• Positive approach means England can win series, says Cook
• Experience of Stokes and Root will be key factor

Recent history will weigh heavily on the shoulders of England's players when they take the field in Perth on Friday seeking to end a lamentable run of Ashes failure in Australia.

They have lost 13 of their previous 15 test matches Down Under, drawing the other two, and you must go all the way back to 2011 for the last England victory.

Confident noises are coming out of England's camp, though, and whether or not Brendon McCullum's side can turn the tide, one thing is for sure, the touring side will not die wondering.

England have resembled lambs to the slaughter in their last three away Ashes series, losing the tactical and psychological battles and having technical frailties ruthlessly exposed.

This time, however, under inspirational captain Ben Stokes they look set to fight fire with fire.

Pace-bowling greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad may have left the stage but England boast six fast bowlers capable of denting the toughest Australian armour, top-order batsmen who can score at dizzying rates and a century-hungry Joe Root freed from the shackles of being captain.

"It's going to be hard. But if they get everything right, I look at this and go, actually, England can definitely win the series without a shadow of a doubt," said Alastair Cook, player of the series when England last won in Australia in 2010-11.

"The way this England side plays, they've got a really good chance."

England's fearless approach

The fearless front-foot approach that coach McCullum and captain Stokes have ingrained in England has produced 25 wins, 14 defeats and only two draws in 41 tests.

So-called Bazball produced fireworks and acrimony in equal measure two years ago in England when Australia retained the Ashes with a 2-2 draw having won the opening two matches.

At times, Australia were knocked off the rails by England's full-gas approach, but critics accused the hosts of being architects of their own downfall, especially a frenzied day one of the first test when Stokes declared on 393-8 with Root unbeaten on 118 and Australia won the match by two wickets.

With the weapons at his disposal, McCullum is unlikely to tone down his team's cavalier approach, but former England fast bowler Steven Finn reckons Bazball will be used selectively to stop the Australians dictating terms.

"I don't like the term Bazball," Finn, another member of the 2010-11 squad, told Reuters.

"But I think that the manner in which they play is part of the reason why I think they've got their best chance in 15 years of regaining the Ashes Down Under, because in 2010-11 when we went down there and won, we pushed back against Australia.

"When Australia are on top, you need to be able to push back rather than just fall like a pack of cards as happened in the last three series down there.

"There's this Australian media rhetoric about (Bazball) being arrogant. I actually think the Aussie public will respect it as a team playing positively to try and force results."

Stokes is seeking to become only the sixth post-war England captain to win an Ashes series in Australia, and the 34-year-old can be assured a lively reception from the locals in Perth.

"One thing Australia know is if they poke the bear a bit, they know what Stokes can do," Cook said.

"I think if there's ever a player in England's history who Australia feared, Stokes is up there."

Ageing Australians

Australia are favourites to retain the Ashes but anything short of their usual dominance is sure to reignite the debate over the pace of transition to a younger generation.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Travis Head are all in their mid to late 30s and form the core of the team bidding to keep hold of the urn for another 18 months.

It would be a surprise, however, if all seven were still around when Australia tour South Africa next September, let alone when the Ashes rivalry resumes in England in 2027.

That so many have reached such an advanced stage of their careers without obvious replacements is certainly a reflection of their quality, but will be a matter of concern in the case of more injuries during the series.

"No doubt, (the selectors) are conscious they have half a dozen or so guys coming pretty close to the end of their careers," former captain Greg Chappell said.

"It's a matter of having the replacements available, that's the difficult part of it."

Another former captain, Steve Waugh, launched a shot at George Bailey in the run-up to the Ashes, accusing the head selector of failing to take tough decisions and allowing senior players to pick the side.

"You just want to make sure that three or four players don't go out at the same time. That leaves a big hole in the team," he said.

"So they've got to just make sure that it is a transition, but not all at once."

Cummins and Hazlewood injured

Australia's fast bowling stocks will definitely be tested in the series opener with skipper Cummins and Hazlewood -- both members of the triumvirate that has kept Australia near the top of the test world rankings for a decade -- absent injured.

Scott Boland, 36, will win his 15th cap bowling with 35-year-old Starc in Perth, while Brendan Doggett looks set to earn his first at the age of 31, the only quick to debut for Australia since 2021.

It was at the top of the batting order that Waugh's criticism was mainly aimed, however, with the suggestion the job of identifying a successor to David Warner, who retired from tests in January last year, had been botched.

Usman Khawaja, who will be 39 during the series, remains a lock-in as one opener despite diminishing returns from a career that started in the last test England won on Australian soil in 2011.

Youngsters Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney have been tried and discarded for now, and it looks like the uncapped Jake Weatherald or 31-year-old Marnus Labuschagne will walk out with Khawaja in Perth.

- Reuters