5 things England needs to do to prepare for the Ashes

2. Onus on improving fielding:

You win games against champion sides not on the strength of your batting or bowling alone – the fielding has got to be top-class too.

With the arrival of youngster Joe Root in the side, the fielding could see a slight increase in intensity. Despite their recent travails both on and off the field, Australia have always been a high-quality fielding side, and England need to be aware of this during their preparations.

To counter Australia’s rapid scoring batsmen – particularly Shane Watson – the fielding effort must be raised to levels higher than normal.