After a bizarre build-up the Gabba is the scene for the opening act of a series full of unknowns

There are always nerves and excitement on the eve of an Ashes series, but some actual cricket being played might be sweet relief to Australia and England and their fans alike after a bizarre build-up. There have been both literal clouds and thunderstorms that have hampered both teams' preparation in Queensland following the T20 World Cup, while the figurative clouds of racism in English cricket and Tim Paine's resignation have loomed over both teams in the lead-up.

In pure cricketing terms, on paper at least this isn't quite the mismatch it has been touted in some quarters. These are two middling teams, ranked third and fourth on the ICC Test rankings, but they diverge in many ways. One team barely plays while the other might be playing too much. Australia have played one four-Test series since January 2020, which they lost at home against an understrength India, and have not played overseas since the 2019 Ashes. England, meanwhile, are about to play in their fifth series of the calendar year having played six Tests in Sri Lanka and India and six at home against New Zealand and India again, but have won just four of those 12.

For Australia, it is the beginning of a new era with Pat Cummins to lead his nation for the first-time, becoming the first Australian fast-bowling captain since 1956, while there will be a new man behind the stumps in Alex Carey. But it is the same formidable attack that won 4-0 four years ago, while David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steven Smith all loom large in home conditions.

For England, despite some of the youth in their squad, it is being seen as a legacy series for both Joe Root's captaincy as well as their two most prolific fast bowlers in James Anderson and Stuart Broad, on their fifth and fourth tours of Australia respectively. Root lands down under in the form of his life, while the fitness of Anderson and Broad remains a question. Ben Stokes is here but has not played a competitive game of cricket since July and has not played a red-ball game since his last Test in March. However, his class and competitiveness can never be questioned.

For all the unknowns, the cold reality for England is they have lost nine of their last 10 Tests in Australia without a victory. In England's last 20 Tests in Australia, there has been one constant in the only games they haven't lost. Alastair Cook scored 67, 235 not out, 148, 82, 189, and 244 not out in the three wins and two draws interspersed among 15 defeats. If Root is to cement his legacy as England captain it will take something equally monumental.