England

During the next six weeks that promise excitement, thrill and tension in equal measure, England, who have won 11 of 13 matches under Stokes and McCullum, will be put to a relentless Test at home to see if they can retain their style of play which has given them immense success, having not lost a series yet.

The seamer took five wickets overall in the match after Australia preferred to pick him over Michael Neser with Josh Hazlewood unavailable due to injuries. Ahead of the first Ashes Test starting from June 16 at Edgbaston, Australia have to make a selection call between Boland and Hazlewood vying for a spot in the playing eleven.

In the playing eleven announced by England two days away from Ashes series opener, Ali will now be making a return to Test cricket in place of injured Jack Leach at his home ground. The spin all-rounder accepted an SOS call from captain Ben Stokes post Leach being ruled out due to a stress fracture in lower back.

Boland, Boland was selected in the WTC Final playing XI over Michael Neser with Josh Hazlewood unavailable due to injury, played a key role in Australia bowling out India for 234 on Day Five of the marquee clash, including the double scalp of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja in the second innings to set the base for a 209-run victory.

Root, who was signed by Rajasthan Royals for INR 1 crore, played just three times for the Royals and batted only once, making 10 off 15 balls. However, he made a fluent 56 during England's 10-wicket win over Ireland at Lord's on Saturday, which was his first red-ball innings since the Wellington Test against New Zealand in February.

Ben Stokes suffered a flare-up of a left knee injury during the drawn Test series in New Zealand in February. Since then, he has bowled just one over in one of his two matches for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in IPL 2023, where his appearances were limited due to various niggles.

Mitchell Starc has majorly opened the bowling for Australia in Tests in the last couple of years, including picking 30 wickets at an average of 30.86 while donning the same role in England. But he was out of playing eleven in four out of Australia's five Tests during the 2019 Ashes in England, as the tourists resorted to rotating bowlers throughout the series.

Stokes had a long-standing left knee injury flared up during the series in New Zealand in February, which limited his ability to use his right-arm pace bowling. He also suffered niggles while being a part of the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023, which limited his participation to just two matches.

According to an ESPNCricinfo report, Roy, who holds an incremental deal with the ECB, plans to terminate his contract in order to play in the league. Apart from him, his England and Surrey team-mate Reece Topley is considering the same move, but a lot of it depends on his fitness status after undergoing shoulder surgery last month.

"Yes definitely. It feels really good and as if it has reacted to treatment. I have no issues running and bowling again and just keeping my fingers crossed I can carry on going as I have been and will be ready for the Ashes," Anderson was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.