Root and Cook warned to expect onslaught as Australia aim to exploit batting frailties

AUSTRALIA will target England’s top batsmen Joe Root and Alastair Cook when the Ashes gets under way. Aussie coach Darren Lehmann watched an England collapse on Friday and former fast bowler Ryan Harris, in charge of the Cricket Australia XI, said: ‘Their batting is vulnerable, absolutely, especially with no [Ben] Stokes at six or seven. ‘We’ve been known to target the captain and Joe Root is genuinely their best player. ‘You’ve got Alastair Cook too who knows these conditions pretty well so if you take the best two out it’s going to be hard. ‘Cook looked a bit rusty. We know what he can do and we know he is world-class — you don’t score 10,000 Test runs and not be any good. But we’ll see when it comes to Brisbane.’