Rogers sees England as Ashes favourites

Cricket Australia High Performance coach Chris Rogers believes England’s struggles in the Caribbean will be forgotten when the Ashes commence later this year and the Old Enemy still remains firm favourites to reclaim the famous urn.

England are currently struggling for form in the Test arena, having already lost their three-match series to the West Indies following a pair of disappointing results in the Caribbean.

Regardless of the result in the third and final Test against the West Indies, England will drop to fifth in the ICC Test rankings and below their Ashes rival ahead of the five-match series this winter.

But Rogers still thinks England will head into the Ashes as the team to beat, having lost just one series at home in the last six years and impressively defeating the No.1 ranked India 4-1 during their most recent home campaign last year.

"I am curious to think that some people think Australia are favourites," Rogers told BBC's Stumped podcast.

"I would not say that at all.

"I know how hard it is for an Australian side to win in England, particularly when you’ve got the likes of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad.

"So it’s going to be a massive challenge for Australia and it’s going to take some great efforts individually and as a team to win the Ashes."

Rogers represented Australia during three Ashes series, with two of those appearances in losing sides in England where his team struggled against Anderson, Broad and the swinging Dukes ball.

And the 41-year-old is not expecting conditions to be any different this time ahead of the first Test of the series at Edgbaston on August 1.

"They are going to be pretty tough pitches," he said.

"I don’t think the England curators are going to do Australia any favours.

"I still think England are favourites, but it’s a good chance for Australia if they can play well."

Australia will enter the Ashes series on the back of a confidence boosting series sweep of Sri Lanka on home soil and skipper Tim Paine said he can't wait to land in enemy territory.

England will host the World Cup and Ashes this year and Paine admitted he had been keeping a close eye on how Australia's Ashes rival had been performing of late.

"It's something that I've certainly dreamed of as a kid," Paine revealed when asked about touring England later this year.

"I didn’t think that I'd be going over as the captain but in the back of my mind I've been thinking about it.

"I've been watching England, keeping a really close eye on them (and) I can't wait to get over there."