The Ashes: England’s best chance to win series in Australia in 15 years, says Steven Finn | Cricket News

Stephen Finn says England have their best chance of winning an Ashes series in Australia in 15 years.

Finn, a member of England’s last victorious touring team in 2010/11, believes the continuity fostered under Brendon McCullum can help exploit weaknesses in an unstable Australian side.

With Australia’s opening pair uncertain and captain Pat Cummins ruled out of the first Test, Finn is backing England to reclaim the urn.

“England have had their best chance in 15 years,” the former England international said. Sky Sports News. “They have a relatively stable line-up, which lends itself to consistency – exactly what you need in an Ashes series.

“There’s a bit of turmoil in Australia too, with a more unstable squad than it has in the last 15 years. They’ve had challenges integrating multiple players – Beau Webster and Cam Green – into the team.

“Finding out the top three is one of the biggest question marks for Australia ahead of this series.

“I would err on the positive side and expect England to win 3-2.”

Cummins’ absence is a blow to the series

Steve Smith will lead Australia in the first Test in Perth after Cummins was ruled out with a back injury. The Skipper races to recover in time to play a role later in the series, and Finn hopes he will return – for the good of the competition.

“It’s a blow to the series,” Finn added. “Even though we want England to win, you want the best players involved.

“I love watching Cummins play and it’s really unfortunate that he won’t be ready for the first Test, to say the least.

“It’s good news for England because he’s a great footballer, but he’s not great for the series – you want to see the best out there.”

Woakes shares Finn’s optimism

Finn’s former teammate Chris Woakes confirmed his confidence in England’s chances.

“England’s chances are high,” Woakes said. “I really think we have a great chance to win – and we will win the series.

“Winning Down Under is tough, it won’t be easy. But the team we’ve built over the last few years has a great opportunity to go there and achieve the goals.

“We have been working hard together for a while and have reaped the rewards of being a cohesive group. Now comes the final test – the win in Australia.”

Labuschagne issues pre-ash warning

Marnus Labuschagne issued a warning ahead of the Ashes for England, comparing his current form to his breakout year in 2019.

The 31-year-old smashed his fifth century in eight innings for Queensland against New South Wales in the One Day Cup, with a blistering 101 taking his summer average to 84.87 in all formats.

Asked how this tour compared to the peaks of his previous career, Labuschagne pointed to his meteoric rise in 2019, when he went from Test debutant and Ashes winner in England to the top of the batting rankings.

“The only period I can compare it to is probably 2019 at Glamorgan,” he said. “But not in both formats.

“Right now, I feel like my hitting is in a great place — just trusting my skills and myself out there. It’s all coming together.”