England’s Andrew Strauss, captaining for the first time in an Ashes series, told reporters after his team’s warm-up match against Warwickshire that his players were walking into the unknown. “We are not entirely sure what to expect. Both teams will go there not knowing what to expect and we can only judge when the Test match is over,” he said. “In world cricket, home advantage counts for a huge amount.”

The pitch is expected to be slow but offering no obvious advantages to the spinners and designed to last for the full five days. Australia have a great batsman in captain Ricky Ponting while England possess, in Kevin Pietersen, a player capable of producing match-changing innings.

However, it is the bowling which holds the key in Cardiff and the remaining four Tests and both sides will be debating up to Wednesday morning just which combination gives the best prospect of 20 wickets in the match. Australia’s hope received a body blow on Monday when fast bowler Brett Lee was ruled out due to a rib injury.

Interesting high

Lee would have formed a hostile pace trio with Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle with Stuart Clark and Nathan Hauritz disputing the remaining spot.

Hauritz’s chances of playing would have improved with the withdrawal of Lee, although Australia could be tempted to play four pace bowlers, adding Ben Hilfenhaus to the mix and relying on the part-time spin of Marcus North, Michael Clarke and Simon Katich.

England have the option of playing two orthodox slow bowlers in off-spinner Graeme Swann and left-armer Monty Panesar. Although there is nothing like the fever pitch of the 2005 Ashes series, interest is high in England because both sides look so evenly balanced.

“It’s going to be a fierce competition but we’re ready for it, we’re excited about it and we’re going to come out fighting,” Pietersen said.

No 1 ranking at stake