The Ashes - 1st Test - Who'll Strike First?

England
The energy of Team England is positive, well planned and strong. They are mentally in control and well equipped to deal with the opposition. Challenges will certainly present themselves, and despite some patchiness at times, England will know how to overcome this.

1st Innings
Batting will be aggressive – in fact they will have to be, since opposition bowling will be tough to battle with. The batsman will be able to fight this one through quite confidently. Bowling will work to a balanced plan, whereas fielding will require better focus.

2nd Innings
Batting will require better focus otherwise unnecessary risks will be taken. Bowling and fielding will have a positive start, but towards the latter half England should look to stick to their plans.

The Captain - Alastair Cook
Cook will need to be careful about second guessing his plans and will need to be more positively aggressive with his captaincy.

Australia
Not feeling the most confident, Australia will have the right enthusiasm to tackle their anxieties and this 1st Test. Their sense of balance and ability to work well as a team will come through. They will need to be more pro-active to make their opportunities count.

1st Innings
Batting will be soft and patchy – with some strong partnerships but overall inconsistency will need to be avoided; better application will be required. Bowling will be more streamlined, but fielding will not be.

2nd Innings
Batting will look more confident, whereas bowling and fielding may lose its' way towards the end.

The Captain - Michael Clarke
Although instinctive in his captaincy, Clarke will need to be more aggressive about implementation of plans. His soft approach may leave things too late.

Tarot Advantage
England

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