If England are really set on learning from history, of course, they don't need to look quite as far back as 90 years. A couple would do. It was a little series called The Ashes, and it took place in 2006-07 in Australia, where they were walloped 5-0. It's no use pretending that the whitewash never happened. England will have to look back at that series and seek revenge, much like Australia did when they lost in 2005, writes Emma John in the Guardian.

People who suffer traumatic experiences are frequently known to repress them, bury them so deep inside their psyche that they can't consciously remember them. Personally, I am convinced that in December 2006 I spent a glorious time with my Australian relatives; that my stay in Perth was marked by a five-day period of festivals, feasting and spa treatments before moving on to Melbourne on Boxing Day for a magical three days hanging out with Kylie. I just need an explanation for the involuntary spasms whenever I hear the words "Mike Hussey".

I've looked at the teams that each may like to send out on to the park (for example, I've assumed that Shane Watson will be fit). How do the Ashes class of '09 stack up? asks Mike Atherton in the Times.

Kevin Pietersen v Michael Clarke
I expect Pietersen to rise to the occasion and cement his position as one of the great batsmen of the moment. Like all captains, Ponting hates the feeling of not being in control of events in the field and Pietersen is the player who can change the course of a game in a session. Clarke, though, has questions to answer: he has never been that successful in England, either for Hampshire as an overseas player or in the 2005 series, and technically he has looked suspect against the moving ball. Verdict: Pietersen

In the Times, Rick Broadbent chats with former England captain Mike Gatting, who speaks on varied matters such as the importance of Flintoff, the perils of success in England and dwindling crowds at games.

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