Former English quick Stuart Broad has reacted to Australia's Ashes squad announcement by circling one matchup as the defining storyline of the summer.
He believes the battle between England's aggressive top-order batsmen and Nathan Lyon could swing entire sessions and potentially the whole series.
Broad conceded that England have traditionally struggled against Lyon in Australia, especially during pressure periods when Lyon can tie up one end.
However, on a recent episode of the For The Love Of Cricket podcast, he insisted that England will flip the scrip this time.
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How will England attack Nathan Lyon?
Broad believes England will go after Lyon, shifting the tactical pressure back onto Australia's most experienced bowler.
"Someone like Harry Brook will try and take him downtown," he said.
He says England are determined not to let Lyon settle in long, suffocating spells the way he's done before in home Ashes series.
"They’ve played him so bad in Australia generally, [he] just picks up wickets at crucial times," he said.
Despite the planned aggression, Broad respects Lyon's patience and experience, calling him "brilliant" in timing his breakthroughs.
"I think England are going to absolutely fly at him, but Lyon is so experienced," he said.
"I think that’s going to be such a fascinating battle, how England go about Nathan Lyon."
What is Harry Brook's record against spin?
Broad singled out Harry Brook as the batter most likely to attack Lyon aggressively over the course of the series.
Brook's career numbers against spin are exceptional. According to Cricmetric, he's scored 872 runs, averaging 62.3, striking at 83.2 across 38 innings against tweakers.
In 2022, Brook averaged an astonishing 180.5 against spin at 94.5 runs every 100 deliveries, showing off that aggression that Broad alluded to.
What is Harry Brook's record against Nathan Lyon?
The matchup against Lyon tells a different story for Brook: 35 runs, dismissed twice, averaging just 17.5.
Brook does score quickly when facing Lyon, striking at 81.4 runs every 100 balls, but ultimately the Aussie has enough discipline to earn breakthroughs.
For Broad, he believes this tension will go a long way to deciding the series as England looks to secure the Ashes on Australian soil for the first time since the 2010/11 series.