Edgbaston might be England's fortress but Australia are not scared

SAM MORSHEAD AT EDGBASTON: Come a quarter to 11 on the first day of this men’s Ashes series, this place will be a-roaring and a-rocking like a lion on a seesaw

Edgbaston is a strange sight the day before a Test match.

Beneath the colour and pageantry of matchday, Birmingham’s famous old ground cuts quite a dull figure - rows of beige-green seats looking up at an ever-darkening sky, groundstaff mingling on the outfield rearranging piping, sound technicians testing their equipment with occasional bursts of Neil Diamond, and deckhands lugging carts of catering paraphernalia around the concourse.

It does not give much of an indication of the spectacle that is to follow, and not an inkling of the cacophonous bowl which will face Australia on Thursday morning.

Yet come a quarter to 11 on the first day of this men’s Ashes series, this place will be a-roaring and a-rocking like a lion on a seesaw.

Make no mistake, while Lord’s might lay claim to being the spiritual epicentre of England men’s cricket, this Midlands arena is the stadium at which the team feels most at home. 

^{The men's Ashes begins on Thursday}

This is the ground where they are unbeaten in 11 matches, and where Australia are winless in all formats since 2001.

This is the place to experience the raw emotion of the sport, and that is not to cast aspersions on The Oval, Headingley, Trent Bridge or Old Trafford.

There is not a cricket venue in England which generates an atmosphere quite like Edgbaston - partly raucous, partly rambunctious, wholly invested in the good game cricket. 

But is it somewhere to fear?

Asked whether it is the most intimidating ground in world cricket during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Australia captain Tim Paine was quick to slap the suggestion aside.

“I could name another 15,” he said, quite a statement for a man who has played international cricket at just 35 stadia, a cluster of which are in his home country. 

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“(It’s) another opportunity. England haven’t lost here in how long? I don’t even know, I haven’t looked at it and it doesn’t concern us.

“A lot of time when teams come to Australia and they have to go to the Gabba or the WACA, it plays on their minds so I’ve seen it work in reverse. It doesn’t affect us.”

As it so happens, the England skipper agrees with his opposite number.

“I don’t see this ground as intimidating,” Joe Root said. “I think it’s a great place to play cricket. I see it from a slightly different point of view but one thing for sure is that the crowd here you’re very aware are in full support of England and we love coming here and love the atmosphere that this ground in particular brings.”

Edgbaston has self-identified as a fortress in recent days - from the billboards erected on the exterior of the stands to the venue’s Twitter handle’s temporary name-change - yet, admittedly, it is some way off Gabba standards.

There, Australia have not lost a Test since 1988, since before the England captain was born. 

So you can understand why Birmingham’s bearpit is not quite as intimidating to the Aussies as you might ordinarily expect.

^{Ed Smith and Trevor Bayliss with England captain Joe Root}

“We know we’ve got our plans individually, we’ve got our plans as a team and it’s about us going out there on Thursday and executing those skills. If we do that it doesn’t matter if we’re playing at Edgbaston, the Gabba or the moon,” Paine said. He was more tetchy than usual on Wednesday, but still managed to talk a good game.

“We think our best cricket is good enough and the Edgbaston pitch and Edgbaston crowd and grandstand, or whatever it is, won’t play a part in deciding this Test match.”

Ah, the crowd. He means the Barmy Army.

Australia’s players and coaching staff have discussed the inevitable mockery of England’s fan group ahead of this series. They have seen and heard the reaction to Steve Smith and David Warner during the World Cup and are expecting more of the same, and a whole bunch more besides, during The Ashes.

“The guys are looking forward to that. It’s part and parcel of coming here and it can sometimes bind the group and make them even better,” Paine said. 

“On the field we’ve spoken about making sure we’re driving our own energy, building our own atmosphere out on the ground, and if we can do that we know that our own circle is unbreakable.”

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Smith and Warner have faced relentless heckling during their time in England so far this summer.

On their first appearance - against Afghanistan in Bristol - they were roundly booed, and a pocket of fans in the Mound Stand shuffled sandpaper between their fingers at the pair’s every move.

At The Oval, Virat Kohli had to ask India’s supporters to relent in their abuse of Smith.

During the World Cup semi-final, the disdain for the duo was still acutely audible. And Australia expect it to continue right through the next six weeks.

There was a small contingent of Barmy Army members at Edgbaston on Wednesday, signing songs to the tune of their trumpeter for the benefit of a handful of cameras in the Eric Hollies Stand. At one point, Ashley Giles even found himself caught up in it all.

Giles will be in the executive boxes come Thursday morning, but the Hollies will be bolstered by several thousands jauntily-humoured, flauntily-dressed fans turning their sights on Aussie fielders and batsmen.

"We try never to step over the line," Barmy Army managing director Chris Millard said.  "We don’t advocate the booing.

"We think we can be witty and funny without that. It’s always about supporting the England team and if we can get under the nerves of the Aussies then we will."

The message from all sides? "Bring it on!"

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