Ashes 2017/18: 5 England players to watch out for

A new chapter will be added to the age-old rivalry between Australia and England when the 2017/18 edition of the Ashes begins at the Gabba from 23rd November. Tempers will flare and patience will be tested as the two fierce foes lock horns on the field.

At home soil, Australia are a tough nut to crack. With England suffering 0-5 whitewashes on two of their last three trips to the country, the upcoming series will be another examination of their temperament. Here are five key players who can help the visitors compete strongly with Steven Smith's team under challenging conditions.

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#5 Chris Woakes

Chris Woakes has started off the tour on a high note by picking up plenty of wickets in the first two warm-up games. In the practice match against Cricket Australia XI, Woakes scalped six wickets in the first innings.

Woakes is currently one of the prime bowlers for England and his performance would be crucial to their chances in the series. He has also shown great promise with the bat and can play the role of a genuine-all rounder if needed.

Considering that Ben Stokes is likely to continue being unavailable for selection, the onus will be huge on Woakes to fill up the huge void by performing with both bat and ball.

#4 Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali can be the X-factor for England with his all-round prowess

Moeen Ali had a decent outing in the Ashes 2015 series wherein he scored 293 runs at an average of 36.62 including two half-centuries and picked up twelve wickets at an average of 45.50.

Moeen can play a key role in the upcoming series as Australian pitches tend to assist spinners on the last couple of days. Considering that Australia could have three left-handers in top six, the off-spinner will be fancying his chances of picking up vital wickets.

Even though they also have a leg-spin option in Mason Crane in the squad, England are likely to go with Moeen as the only spinner in the playing eleven. The left-hander has to put in handy contributions with the bat and shore up the visitors' lower middle-order with his graceful stroke-play.

#3 Stuart Broad

Broad created havoc in the previous Ashes series on English soil

In the last Ashes series, Stuart Broad crushed Australia's batting line-up with a eight-wicket haul in the fourth Test match at Trent Bridge. Australia were bundled out for just 60 runs due to the tall fast bowler's heroic spell. In all, he ended up with 21 wickets in the series.

Broad can be very dangerous when he is on song. He has the ability to wreak havoc on even flat pitches. As evidenced by 84 wickets at an average of 27.69, his Ashes record is also quite solid. Broad will be sharing the new ball with James Anderson. It will be important that he strikes early in his spell, especially with the prized scalp of David Warner.

#2 Alastair Cook

Cook's experience will be crucial in the series

Alastair Cook has had an eventful time during his last two trips to Australia. In the 2010/11 tour, he amassed a whopping 766 runs and was instrumental in England winning by a 3-1 margin. The left-hander was named Player of the Series for his sensational consistency.

In 2013, Mitchell Johnson inflicted tremendous damage on England by getting the better of Cook on numerous occasions. The opener had a disappointing tour as he was able to score only 246 runs at an average of 24.6. His captaincy was also inadequate and England were subjected to an embarrassing 0-5 whitewash.

Free from the burden of captaincy, Cook will be aiming to return to his prolific form with the bat. With his opening partner Mark Stoneman being relatively inexperienced, the focus will be on Cook to steady the ship and get England off to solid starts.

#1 Joe Root

Root will captaining the side for the first time in Ashes and will play major role in the series

Joe Root will be captaining for the very first time in an Ashes series. He will be under immense pressure. However, such a situation can bring out the best from a talented player like him. He was Player of the Series during the last Ashes series after scoring 460 runs at an average of 57.60 including two centuries. In Australia, the right-hander does not have an impressive record.

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Unlike the 2013/14 tour, Root is a settled batsman at Test level and has been scoring runs on a regular basis during more recent times. With the pitches expected to facilitate shot-making, the Yorkshireman has every reason to score plenty of runs. Aside from his presence in the middle-order, Root's captaincy skills will also be critical to England's fortunes in what could be a gruelling series.