England's biggest test of the summer is upon us, yet everyone has one eye on the Ashes.

Even the players admit that, while they would love to turn over Pakistan in the four-match Test series, their ultimate aim is to beat the Aussies in their own back yard this winter.

Just like everything the England football team do in a four-year period is geared towards the World Cup, the Ashes is the coup de grace for our cricketers.

And they will be cheered by how the men from Down Under were cut down to size by Pakistan.

Ricky Ponting’s men are looking more fallible by the day. They will be a different proposition on their home turf, but their bowling attack is certainly not in the same class as England’s.

They may have a promising leg-spinner in Steve Smith, but we have the finished article, the best slow bowler in the world – Graeme Swann.

The spearhead of their attack, Mitchell Johnson, is the embodiment of inconsistency while the leader of the Three Lions’ pace pack, Stuart Broad, is fast maturing into one of the best seamers in the world.

Man-for-man, the Aussies fall short in many categories and, with Ponting’s star on the wane, their batting line-up suddenly looks a bit fragile.

England are far from the finished article though and many questions will need to be answered against Pakistan.

Can Eoin Morgan excel in the longer format of the game? Will Kevin Pietersen ever get back to his dominant best? Is Jonathan Trott capable of consistent scores at number three? And can the team take 20 wickets to win the match with just four bowlers?

Pakistan’s bowling attack is being lauded as one of the most balanced in the game after they routed Australia for just 88.

Get the better of Salman Butt’s men and Andrew Strauss can take his team to Australia with genuine ambitions of glory. Especially if the Aussies come unstuck in India in October.