The Ashes 2013-14: Alastair Cook excited by jostling for batting places

Tourists wait until final practice session, which shows not only their determination to get it right but how close the competition for places is

England’s Alastair Cook practises his cover drive at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart (Getty Images)

The extent of the trouble that Australia are in is easy to gauge. Between now and the start of the first Test of the Ashes series expect a huge increase in the number and quality of the shock troops sent in to denigrate England.

It is an old tactic of the phoney war and nobody should make the mistake that Australia are only indulging in it now because they fear their side is inferior. They used to do it too when they were the cocks of the walk. This time, however, its use could be doubly important as a ploy to undermine their opponents.

"It is what happens when England play Australia," said England's captain, Alastair Cook, rising above the opprobrium heaped upon his leadership skills by Shane Warne. "It's a very high-profile series, it hasn't changed, has it, from the summer and we don't expect it to change in the next couple of months either."

Warne, who derided Cook's captaincy as dull and not proactive, also described his friend Michael Clarke, Australia's captain, as the best in the game today. It is probably as well he is; it does not bear contemplation what might otherwise have happened last summer when England won 3-0.

There are bound to be similar barbs aimed in the tourists' direction as the series draws near. Nobody could accuse England of overdoing the entertainment as they nailed the series last summer, and if Australians think they can sneak under their skin they will seize every opportunity to do so.

In the next few days, Warne may well be joined by other former Australia cricketers ready to tell Cook and his team that they are not much to write home about. At least until the real business begins, Cook can rest easy in the knowledge that his team have won the Ashes three times in succession, with eight of the likely XI this time having taken part in all three series.

Cook was mature and aware enough to concede that the criticism could not simply be ignored. But the way it is dealt with is what eventually matters. "One of the skills you need as an international cricketer compared to being just a county player is having to deal with this situation," he said. "There is a lot more interest in what's going on and how you handle yourself contributes to whether you make the grade or not, and over a long period of time I think I have handled it pretty well.

"When someone makes a comment about you it does change your blood pressure slightly. No one in the world can say it doesn't, but I'm pretty confident and pretty skillful at being able to handle it because over the past seven years I have done it pretty well."

England's build-up to the series is already significantly different from that of 2010-11, when they constructed one of their most glorious victories.

Then they knew the team they wanted to play in the first Test when they stepped on to the Heathrow tarmac and they picked it for the first two practice matches. By the time they reached Brisbane they were already a well-honed if not quite complete unit. This time, they still do not know their preferred team and as Cook revealed, the XI are unlikely to appear together before the match at The Gabba.

"We are open to all possibilities," said Cook. "We haven't decided on our batting line-up. We are unsure of pretty much two places and it's exciting because everyone in the squad knows that and watching that competition grow, if someone grabs that opportunity he is going to find himself in a good place."

So unsure are they that England had still not confirmed the XI to play Australia A. They were waiting until the final practice session and it shows not only their determination to get it right but how close the competition for places is.

Australia are in similar territory, which has been complicated by the injury to Shane Watson. Although the selectors are desperate for him to recover they dare not risk him damaging his hamstring further and affecting him for the rest of the series.

Two of the A team, Alex Doolan and Shaun Marsh, went into the match as viable candidates for Test selection with Usman Khawaja another on the fringe. Marsh scored a hundred on his Test debut four years ago but then capsized completely, accruing four ducks in his next 10 innings before being dropped. He admitted that he had been distracted by matters outside the game.

Adulation in Kolkata annoys Little Master

Sachin Tendulkar was reported to be "upset" by the fanfare that surrounded his 199th and penultimate Test match, which began against the West Indies in Kolkata in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He was showered with confetti and flower petals on arriving at Eden Gardens for pre-match practice and the coin used in the toss before play began bore the batsman's image on one side.