Trouble at the top won’t stop England from being bosses Down Under

They will start to believe that, in home conditions, they have the attack to regain the urn. Yet before they start to believe they can achieve this, Australia would do well to remember what happened to England in 2010. The series against Pakistan that summer is remembered mainly for the spot-fixing scandal that saw three players — captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir — given custodial sentences for corrupt practices during the Lord’s Test.

In those four Tests, England’s batsmen struggled desperately against Asif and Amir and Cook came close to being dropped. In that campaign, England passed 400 only once in the first innings and legitimate doubts were raised about the strength of their batting before the tour of Australia, where England had not won a Test series since 1987.

However, those who were concerned need not have been so.

After looking so vulnerable against Pakistan, Cook flourished in friendlier Australian conditions, scoring a remarkable 766 runs in the series.

Kevin Pietersen’s double-century at Adelaide built the platform for victory there, while Trott made hundreds at Brisbane and Melbourne.

Bell claimed his first Ashes century at Sydney after posting fifties in each of the first three Tests.

All four men can expect to be in the top six when the action begins at the Gabba in November.

Although Australia have richer seam- bowling options than they did three years ago, England’s batsmen have proved that they can score runs all around the world — and England can be one of the most difficult places in the world to score heavily and regularly .

Australia’s cricket has improved in this series as England’s has declined slightly. Their bowling has been consistent throughout and the tactical plans devised by coach Darren Lehmann and captain Michael Clarke, especially to Root and Trott, have been impressive. Yet there is still not doubt about which team has the superior pedigree.

Let us not forget that Clarke is the only player in the Australian squad who has experienced the feeling of winning the Ashes, after he was part of the 5-0 whitewash in 2006-07.

England will take several players this winter who are not only multiple Ashes winners but who know what is required to beat Australia in their own country.

The home side have such belief in Root that regardless of how he plays at The Kia Oval, he is favourite to start the series alongside Cook at the top of the order. At most, he could be moved down to the middle order again if the selectors decide they would like to bring him out of the firing line for a little longer. While Bairstow’s position is more vulnerable, he will still have been part of a squad who retained the Ashes.

That experience, and the knowledge he will have gained from team-mates who have helped England to regular victories over Australia, ought to prove invaluable, both for him and for Root.

Bell’s displays in this series have been an inspiration for everyone. Contrary to the opinion of many, the 31-year-old has been playing important Test innings for some time now but this series has exceeded all others.

“I always believed I was good enough to score Test hundreds against Australia but it took a while,” he said. “The first two Ashes series I played, in 2005 and 2006-07, were against one of the best teams of all time.

“That was a really tough baptism and I learned a lot. It’s enjoyable to score hundreds and maybe put to bed some of the stuff I’ve done in the past.”