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The legendary Australian batsman was the focus of the initial serious read I remember reading as a child. In the mind of a young pupil, the injustice of an England's skipper instructing his countrymen to hurt a talented Aussie was hard to grasp. And so, like many, I came to hate England.

Anticipation for the Ashes? It goes without saying. The sport's schedule makes this a special occasion to observe two of the top cricketing nations challenge and provoke each other over what we hope will be five Tests of interrogation with the traditional red ball.

As Ian Botham pointed out last week at the launch of the ballot for the historic 2027 match, the Ashes has a unique appeal. “Historically, everyone in the cricketing world tunes into the Ashes,” he said. “It’s the tradition, it’s the competition, you know that’s it all flat out.”

Across the UK, those two tightly fought contests – marked by Steve Smith’s mountain of runs and Ben Stokes’ Headingley masterpiece in 2019, and the Lord’s Long Room disgrace of 2023 – have lived up to the hype of what an Ashes battle should be. However, they have not had the same cultural impact on the other side of the world when half of Australia falls asleep before the end of the lunch interval.

In home Tests, the Ashes has been more subdued than just uneventful for over ten years. Australians expect their team to win and win handily, as it has been since the nineties. Scott Boland’s 6-7 at the MCG wasn’t born from a fierce duel, it was a comical English collapse reinforcing perceptions. A true rivalry should not be so one-sided.

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England's squad were greeted upon arrival by a tired headline in the city's paper, “Bazball”, supported by a description of the widely respected Ben Stokes as “cocky”. The paper then had a go at “Mediocre” Root, also known as “Flop Root in Australia”. It was enough to elicit a typical media response, allowing the press to squeeze what juice is left in the days before the series begins.

On the other hand, the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy between the Aussies and India ignited excitement on its own. The highlight was that MCG experience, a moment that will linger forever. The numbers, too, overwhelmed. 838,000 were present across the series, the fourth most for any contest in Australia and the top for any non-Ashes matchup. Viewers were captivated, similar to the ratings surge for India’s tour of England this year, and eight sessions drew more than 2m television viewers.

Lately, the touching send-offs of two Indian legends at the SCG made ODI matches actually mean something. Contrast the headline following the last time England visited for a limited-overs series: “Smallest attendance for Australia-England ODI raises fears for future of 50-over format”.

India’s Rising Influence

Although bad weather disrupted the short-format games with India, what play we saw suggests Australia are some way off the T20 international standards. For the women's game, at the World Cup last month, the host nation knocked off the title holders. The multi-format series starting in Sydney is primed as a de facto world championship.

It’s easy to overlook the adoring blue, orange and green crowds that gather at India’s matches – and not just Tests – as a mere result of the vast diaspora of the world’s most populous nation. But, to bean counters and broadcast bosses, they are an boon.

The world’s largest democracy now means more to Australia than its historical roots, given the countries share an sea, colonial parallels, and growing cultural ties. India will likely surpass the UK, according to official statistics, as the origin of the biggest contingent of immigrants as early as this year. The failing Aukus relationship is prompting a realignment of security priorities acknowledging the rising power of Asian powers, a shift that long ago happened in the sport of cricket.

Greg Chappell, who also led the Indian team, said last week that England was “the classic foe”, but added “to be fair, if not for India, the sport would suffer”.

The Ultimate Test

Until Australia claimed the trophy last summer, India had held it for a decade. On the subcontinent, Australia haven't triumphed in over two decades. Even if the hosts win back the urn easily this summer, failing to secure the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India in early 2027 would make this period unfulfilled.

The long-awaited win on the Indian soil remains the ultimate test for this generation, and a setback against England this summer – put down to unfortunate bowler injury, similar to 2005 and Glenn McGrath’s freak rolled ankle – would only fuel the story.

The tourists have not secured a victory in Australia for almost 15 years, and despite the history, it cannot sustain a lopsided rivalry forever. So, with a vibrant Indian team having only just flown out, Ben Stokes’s players have a lot at stake. Win the series and remain significant. Alternatively lose the urn and with it something that can’t be won back: the right to Australia’s greatest rivalry. We beg the English, just be good.