Overview
- Ponting believes England’s refined Bazball approach hinges on a strong start from openers like Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley
- He notes that players such as Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes have calibrated their aggression to adapt to different match situations
- Ponting dismisses any expectation that Australia will lobby groundsmen or manipulate pitch preparation for the Ashes
- He warns opposing bowlers must adjust quickly to England’s rapid scoring to prevent early dominance
- England are banking on the fitness of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood to bolster their pace attack in Perth and Brisbane