Advantage Australia at Gabba fortress

Both sides will be desperate to get off to a winning start in the Magellan Ashes this week, but it is Australia that enter the first Test with the weight of history behind them and boasting a formiddable reputation for dominance in Brisbane. 

The Gabba, which traditionally hosts the opening Test of the Australian summer, holds the longest active win streak in Test cricket.

Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood today said this team "loved" starting a series in Brisbane.

"I think it'll be in the back of their minds already for whoever tours at the Gabba, playing against Australia with the record that we have here," Hazlewood said.

"The conditions, the wicket is a bit quicker than any touring team has played on in a while.

"It's a good place for us to start because we know the conditions well. We're used to the pace and the bounce whereas the opposition is not. It's always in our favour."

Spin bowler Nathan Lyon, who boasts an impressive record of 26 wickets in six previous Tests at the ground, said the venue would help make England "uncomfortable".

"We know how to play there, the crowd always gets behind Australia. I'm hoping the crowd out-sing the Barmy Army this week," Lyon said.

"It's one of my favourite places to play cricket in Australia. I'm looking forward to getting out there and hopefully making the English uncomfortable."

Affectionately referred to by locals as the 'Gabbatoir' for the propensity of opposition teams to be metaphorically slaughtered, Australia have not lost a Test at the venue since being rolled by the great West Indies team in 1988.

Since then, Australia has gone 28 matches undefeated, with the venue to next host the first Ashes Test of this summer from Thursday.

Captains Border, Taylor, Waugh, Ponting, Clarke and Smith have all maintained the undefeated run since – the final five of that group having never been defeated at the venue – and the home side has claimed an incredible 21 wins and seven draws in that time.

India have an 18-year undefeated streak running at Chennai's MA Chidambaram stadium, having last lost there in 1999, to Pakistan.

They have played just eight Tests at the venue in the 18 years since, winning five, most recently against England last December.

Image Id: C0C8242C251C4B6AA9723A6C10E930D4 Image Caption: Cricket at the Gabba now includes a pool deck // Getty

Australia's streak in Brisbane, while impressive, still lags behind the longest single-venue domination in Test history.

That record belongs to Pakistan and the incredible 34 matches they went undefeated at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi between 1955 and 2000.

Karachi hosted its first Test match in February 1955, a draw against India, and Pakistan did not lose there until Nasser Hussain's England triumphed in the fifth-day dusk 45 years later.

Image Id: B4B3B8DEDAFC4D12AE1BF833C49570C2 Image Caption: Thorpe and Hussain celebrate England's win at Karachi in 2000 // Getty

Of the 10 longest undefeated streaks at a venue in Test cricket, only one instance is recorded at a location away from home.

That honour belongs to the domination Australia enjoyed at Lord's, the home of cricket, between 1938 and 2005.

From Don Bradman to Ricky Ponting, Australia went 18 matches unbeaten by England at Lord's, winning nine and drawing the other nine.

Longest Test undefeated streaks by venue

National Cricket Stadium, Karachi
Pakistan: 34 matches 1955-2000

The Gabba, Brisbane
Australia: 28 matches 1988-2017*

Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
West Indies: 27 matches 1948-1993

Old Trafford, Manchester
England: 25 matches 1905-1954

Sabina Park, Kingston
West Indies 19 matches 1958-1989

The Oval, London
England: 18 matches 1884-1929

Lord's, London
Australia: 18 matches 1938-2005

Basin Reserve, Wellington
New Zealand: 18 matches 1969-1993

Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain
West Indies: 17 matches 1978-1998

Edgbaston, Birmingham
England 16 matches, 1902-1974

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21