Can England Hit the Ground Running at The Gabba?

After all the warm-up matches, trash talk and bullish predictions, world cricket is finally set for the Ashes curtain-raiser at Brisbane on Thursday.

As is usually the case before an Anglo-Antipodean clash, one side is settled, confident and ready to retain the urn.

The other is in poor form, has a captain under siege from the media and has apparently taken to panicky player-selection in a desperate ploy to derail their opponents' sublime preparation.

For the first time in decades, however, the stereotypes have been reversed and England has taken up the role so often occupied by the ruthlessly efficient Australian juggernaut.

Having just come off the back of an extremely dominant win over Australia A, by ten wickets, at the Bellerive Oval last week, the three lions are hungry for more blood. Every one of the top six batsman, bar perhaps Jonathan Trott, has had some extremely valuable time at the crease.

Ian Bell, so often ridiculed for his lack of backbone and uncanny resemblance to "The Sherminator" of American Pie infamy, has proved to be a run-scoring revelation. Even Alistair Cook, who couldn't buy a score over the English summer, has looked sturdy.

In the seam department, Steven Finn, Stuart Broad and James Anderson offer an encouraging blend of trajectory and pace, whilst the sensational Graeme Swann comprehensively covers a spin option.

On the other hand, the Australian order has been far from convincing in the opening rounds of the Sheffield Shield. Michael Clarke's back is playing up and the imposing aura that once surrounded Ricky Ponting has dissolved.

As far as the bowling goes, Tim Neilsen's battery of pacemen is little more than a quartet of big-hearted try-hards and, whichever of Nathan Hauritz or Xavier Doherty makes the cut, none of the visitors will be losing any sleep.

So surely the first Test is a formality. Andrew Strauss' charges will romp home comfortably to irrecoverably humiliate the Australians, paving the way for an easy series victory in the process.

It won't be that easy. At some point over the five Tests, the old adage, that we must never write off the Australians, will come home to roost. There will be dogged centuries from the home side and the odd batting English collapse.

But can England shrug the burden of history from their shoulders and make a good start on Thursday? Or will Australia make light of the battering they are receiving in the papers and take the lead?

Let us know your thoughts.