‘Records don’t go on for ever… you wouldn’t want to be part of the Australia side that does lose at The Gabba’

this year, Cook responsibility.

With three Ashes debutants — Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan — in the probable top six, it will be left to Cook and Root to provide a crash course in Ashes cricket, particularly the former.

Even though he is captain and has three Ashes series behind him, Root has played only four Tests in Australia — the first four of the 2013-14 campaign, prior to his omission from the final Test at Sydney.

“It was a big decision to give up the captaincy a year ago, but since then it

still carries plenty of has been good,” Cook reflected. “I have really enjoyed going back into the ranks. As a bloke who has played quite a few Test matches, I’ve got some experience to pass on to the newer guys and to Rooty as well.

“I don’t want to step on his toes, but there isn’t too much ego with me or Joe, so we have had some really good conversations. Now the series is here, I feel I’ve got a bit more of a role with the guys who haven’t played Test matches in Australia.

“They won’t be quite sure what to expect and, hopefully, I can pass on my experience, just as Jimmy Anderson

‘I’ve got some experience to pass on to the newer guys and to Rooty. I don’t want to step on his toes, but there isn’t too much ego with me or Joe’

Alastair Cook

will probably do to the guys who haven’t bowled here too often.”

It would be unrealistic to expect a 2010-11 effort from Cook. Though he