Ashes 2017/18: 5 England players to watch out for

#2 Alastair Cook

Cook's experience will be crucial in the series

Alastair Cook has had an eventful time during his last two trips to Australia. In the 2010/11 tour, he amassed a whopping 766 runs and was instrumental in England winning by a 3-1 margin. The left-hander was named Player of the Series for his sensational consistency.

In 2013, Mitchell Johnson inflicted tremendous damage on England by getting the better of Cook on numerous occasions. The opener had a disappointing tour as he was able to score only 246 runs at an average of 24.6. His captaincy was also inadequate and England were subjected to an embarrassing 0-5 whitewash.

Free from the burden of captaincy, Cook will be aiming to return to his prolific form with the bat. With his opening partner Mark Stoneman being relatively inexperienced, the focus will be on Cook to steady the ship and get England off to solid starts.