England squad for first Ashes Test: Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes (vc), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes

England have also got back to Stokes as their vice-captain following the brawl in Bristol in September 2017 which cost him his post, and subsequently, the tours of Australia and New Zealand across 2017-18. Stokes then proved to be the major factor in England lifting the World Cup for the first time - he hit 465 runs at 66.43, including a match-defining 84* in the final while also bagging 7 wickets.

Not only Stokes but also Archer's performance was crucial in England's success during their successful campaign. Often crossing 90 mph with the ball, the Barbados-born speedster troubled almost all opponents with his speed and accuracy while extracting good pace and bounce off the surfaces. He played a part in all of England's eleven matches, claiming 20 wickets at 23.05, with consecutive three-wicket hauls against Bangladesh, West Indies, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Archer recently claimed that he was jostling with a side strain after the first half of the World Cup, but national selector Ed Smith said that his fitness and preparation for the first Test against Australia will be confirmed only at Edgbaston, the venue for the game.

Smith also expressed concerns about workloads amid a lengthy World Cup immediately preceding the Ashes, hence justifying the inclusion of fourteen members for a home Test. "Several bowlers are recovering from injuries or niggles," he said. "In addition, some bowlers who played in the World Cup are being closely monitored to assess their preparation for Test match cricket. The wider circumstances - a successful home World Cup campaign followed so quickly by a home Ashes series - are unprecedented. It feels sensible to select an expanded squad and leave several bowling options open for the final team selection.""

Of special interest will be England's top order against Australia, with the top three often getting blown away by pace and swing alike in the early stages of an innings. The latest of those disasters took place against Ireland earlier this week, with the likes of debutant Roy, Burns, and Denly combining for a total of 122 runs across both innings. They aggregate for a mere eleven Tests, thus prompting Joe Root to push himself back to three, a position where has been often reluctant to bat.