Bazball reaches its endgame; Eng’s hopes hinge on raw pace to recreate Bodyline

England enter the Ashes with their quickest pace attack in decades and a matured Bazball philosophy, aiming to end a 15-year drought in Australia. With Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and a battery of genuine quicks, Ben Stokes’ side arrives believing speed can break the long-standing barrier. For Bazball, this is the defining series: victory brings vindication, defeat invites its fiercest scrutiny yet.